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ANDO  VER  LECTURES  ON  CONGREGA  TIONALISM 


THE 


Pilgrim  in  Old  England 


A   REVIEW 

OF  THE  HISTORY,  PRESENT  CONDITION,  AND  OUTLOOK. 

OF  THE  INDEPENDENT   (CONGREGATIONAL) 

CHURCHES  IN  ENGLAND 


AMORY   H.  BRADFORD 

AUTHOR  OF  "SPIRIT  AND  LIFE";    "OLD  WINE:    NEW 
BOTTLES,"  ETC. 


NEW  YORK 

FORDS,  HOWARD,  &    HULBERT 

LONDON  :   JAMES  CLARKE  &  CO. 

1893 


CorvRiGHT  IN  i3g3 
Hv  AMORV  H.  BRADFORD 


DEDICATION 


TO 

ALEXANDER  MACKENNAL,  B.  A.,  D.  D., 

Pastor  of  the  Congregationai,  Church  at  Bowdon,  Chesh- 
ire, England;  Chairman  of  the  Congregational  Union 
OF  England  and  Wales  in  1887;  Secretary  of  the 
First  International  Council  of  Congregational 
Churches   in    1891 ;   Secretary  of  the  First 
Congress  of  Free  Churches  in  England 
IN  1892;  Distinguished  as  a  Preacher, 
honored   as   a    Leader,   and  be- 
loved as  a  Pastor, 
this  volume  is  dedicated,  with  admiration  and  gratitude 


PRItFACI'. 


The  title  of  this  book  has  been  chosen  not  without 
the  consciousness  that  its  propriety  may  be  ques- 
tioned. The  name  "  Pilgrim,"  technically,  belongs  to 
those  who  left  England,  went  to  Holland,  and 
afterward  came  to  America  in  search  of  religious 
liberty.  But  the  name  also  belongs  to  an  intellect- 
ual and  spiritual  movement  of  which  the  migration 
to  the  New  World  in  the  "  Mayflower"  was  but  a 
small  part.  It  applies  to  those  who  remained  in  the 
old  country,  and  who  there,  under  circumstances 
quite  as  perilous  as  fighting  Indians  and  the  endurance 
of  cold  and  hunger,  fought  for,  and  in  a  measure 
achieved,  their  rights  as  citizens  of  a  spiritual  com- 
monwealth. It  is  the  privilege  of  those  who  live  in 
the  United  States  to  revere  the  memory  of  the  men 
who  founded  the  Plymouth  Colony,  and  who  more 
than  any  others  were  the  fathers  of  our  liberties; 
but  it  should  never  be  forgotten  that  not  all  the 
heroes  left  England,  and  that  while  some  of  the 
"  finest  of  the  wheat  "  came  to  Plymouth,  enough 
remained  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea  to  insure  a 
harvest  of  spiritual  life  and  of  practical  righteous- 
ness which  for  vitality  and  vigour  has  been  unsur- 
passed in  the  history  of  Christianit}% 

The  descendants  of  those  who  worshipped  in  the 
Separatist  assemblies  in   Elizabeth's  time  are   to  be 


vi  rREFACE. 

found  in  both  the  Old  World  and  the  New:  they 
have  the  same  spiritual  lineage,  the  same  legacy  of 
doctrine  and  tradition,  the  same  memories  of  holy 
ancestors  who  have  dared  to  do  and  to  die  for  the 
faith  as  they  have  understood  it,  and  they  are  still 
working  for  broader  liberty,  and  for  the  incorpora- 
tion of  the  life  of  Christ  into  the  life  of  humanit}-. 
In  the  full  conviction  that  the  descendants  of  those 
who  held  the  Pilgrim  faith  in  the  elder  days  are,  in 
all  spiritual  things,  in  the  same  fellowship  as  their 
fathers;  and  that  as  the  children  better  understand 
one  another  they  will  be  able  better  to  co-operate  in 
hastening  the  Kingdom  of  God  by  showing  and  real- 
ising the  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God,  these  Lectures 
were  given,  and  are  now  published. 

Without  the  kindness  and  courtesy  of  many 
friends  in  England  the  facts  herein  considered  could 
never  have  been  gathered.  It  is  not  easy  for  me  to 
distribute  my  obligations,  but  I  have  no  difficulty 
in  making  a  beginning,  for  before  all  others  I  must 
acknowledge  the  generous  treatment  which  was 
extended  to  me  in  1884  by  Rev.  Andrew  Mearns, 
Secretary  of  the  London  Congregational  Union,  to 
whom  I  owe  my  introduction  to  the  English 
churches,  and  without  whose  aid  I  could  not  have 
pursued  my  studies  concerning  the  ecclesiastical  and 
social  condition  of  England.  To  Andrew  Mearns  I 
am  deeply  indebted.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  the 
habit  of  being  helpful  to  young  ministers  is  an 
old  one  with  him,  and  many  in  the  United  States, 
as  well  as  in  England,  would  gladly  join  with  me  in 


PREFACE.  Vll 

acknowledging  his  goodness.  Side  by  side  with  tlie 
name  of  Andrew  Mearns  must  be  placed  that  of  Alex- 
ander Mackennal,  of  Bowdon,  whom  all  Americans 
who  attended  the  International  Council  will  long  re- 
member with  love  and  gratitude,  and  whose  helpful- 
ness in  the  way  of  wise  suggestion  and  courteous  ad- 
vice can  hardly  be  exaggerated.  Drs.  Dale,  Fairbairn, 
and  Revs.  J.  Guinness  Rogers,  Robert  F.  Horton  and 
F.  Herbert  Stead  have  also  been  of  much  assistance 
in  the  way  of  suggestion.  A  different  obligation,  and 
one  second  in  importance  only  to  that  to  Mr.  Mearns 
and  Dr.  Mackennal,  belongs  to  Rev.  P.  T.  Forsyth, 
of  the  Clarendon  Park  Congregational  Church  in 
Leicester,  and  to  Rev.  Bryan  Dale,  Secretary  of 
the  Yorkshire  Congregational  Union.  Mr.  Forsyth 
is  one  of  the  most  accomplished  scholars  and  one  of 
the  ablest  thinkers  among  English  Nonconformists, 
and  to  him  I  am  greatly  indebted  for  the  extreme 
care  which  he  took  in  writing  to  me  most  exact  in- 
formation which  is  embodied  in  the  chapter  on 
"  The  Present  Condition."  Mr.  Dale  has  done  more 
than  any  one  else  in  helping  to  make  this  book 
accurate.  Without  any  previous  acquaintance,  he 
graciously  consented  to  revise  m\-  work,  and  the 
patience  and  thoroughness  with  which  he  examined 
it  in  the  manuscript  places  me  under  a  debt  of  last- 
ing obligation  to  him.  I  beg  those  who  may  read 
these  pages  to  give  Mr.  Dale  credit  for  much  of  the 
accuracy  in  detail  ^^'hich  they  may  possess,  and 
wherein  they  ma}'  be  found  incorrect  to  believe  it  is 
because  I  have  \cntured  todisrec^ard  his  suggestions. 


VIU  PREFACE. 

In  this  recounting  of  those  to  whom  my  thanks 
are  especially  due  are  named  only  those  who  have 
directly  helped  in  the  preparation  of  this  work. 
If  I  were  to  attempt  including  all  those  whose 
courtesies  I  have  received  among  the  good  people 
of  the  Congregational  Churches  in  England  my  list 
might  be  longer  than  my  book. 

It  remains  only  to  say  that  the  substance  of  the 
following  chapters  was  delivered  in  the  course  of  my 
regular  duties  as  Southworth  Lecturer  on  Congre- 
gationalism at  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  in 
the  spring  of  1892.  The  chapter  on  "  Creeds  "  was 
delivered  in  the  course  on  "  American  Congregation- 
alism," in  the  same  Seminary,  in  1893  ;  and  the  chap- 
ter on  "  Doctrinal  Conditions  of  Church  Member- 
ship "  was  read  before  the  International  Congrega- 
tional Council  in  London  in  1891.  The  portions  of 
these  two  chapters  concerning  the  faith  and  practice 
among  American  churches,  like  many  other  similar 
passages,  have  been  included  in  the  belief  that,  by 
comparing  the  development  of  the  same  vital  prin- 
ciples in  the  different  environments  of  the  Old 
World  and  the  New,  a  better  understanding  of  both 
could  be  arrived  at. 

This  book  is  not  intended  to  be  an  exhaustive 
study  of  ecclesiastical  polity,  nor  a  history  of  the 
rise  and  growth  of  an  ecclesiastical  order,  but  rather 
an  exposition  of  the  working  of  the  principles  which 
are  taught  and  illustrated  in  the  Independent,  or 
Congregational,  Churches  of  England.  If  anywhere 
in  these  pages  there  seems  to  be  an  assumption  that 


PREFACE.  ix 

the  faith  of  the  Pilgrims  concerning  the  Church  is 
the  only  true  faith,  or,  indeed,  that  there  is  any 
Divine  order  of  church  polity,  I  desire  distinctly  to 
disclaim  such  meaning.  Each  man  is  a  fraction  ; 
each  division  of  the  Christian  Church  is  of  necessity 
fractional  ;  and  although  emphasis  is  here  placed 
on  those  truths  which  best  commend  themselves 
to  us,  we  recognise  that  the  Truth  as  a  unit  is 
too  large  for  the  comprehension  of  any  individual 
or  sect.  The  claim  of  any  section  of  the  Church  to 
be  the  true  and  only  Church  of  Christ  is  too  absurd 
for  refutation. 

"  Our  little  systems  have  their  day  : 
They  have  their  day  and  cease  to  be  : 
They  are  but  brotcen  lights  of  Thee, 
And  Thou,  O  Lord,  art  more  than  they." 

In  the  full  recognition  that  the  faith  of  the  Pil- 
grims is  that  which  Providence  fitted  them  to  em- 
phasise, and  that  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  to  be 
realised,  not  by  any  denomination  making  light  of 
its  distinctive  principles,  but  rather  by  the  loyalty 
of  all  to  that  which  is  most  clearly  revealed  to  them, 
this  attempted  contribution  toward  a  better  under- 
standing of  those  principles,  as  they  are  illustrated 
in  the  history  and  present  condition  of  The  Pilgrims 
of  Old  England  is  now  offered  to  the  public. 

Amory  H.  Bradford. 

First  Congregational  Church, 
Montdair,  New  Jersey. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

LIFE  AND  FORM i 

How  to  study  the  Church— No  institution  perfect  at  its 
beginning — Organisation  a  product  of  life  and  environ- 
ment— Growth  necessitated  by  life  ;  form  determined  by 
circumstances — Early  life  influenced  by  environment — 
The  early  Christian  Church — The  Church  a  fellowship  of 
those  who  have  the  Divine  life — The  primitive  Church 
subordinated  form  to  life — Forms  best  for  one  age  may 
not  be  best  for  another — Forms  best  for  one  class  may 
not  be  best  for  another — The  polity  of  the  Apostolic 
Church  not  necessarily  the  best  for  all  time — The  truths 
which  distinguished  the  Pilgrims  and  their  churches  :  A 
personal  relation  between  the  Divine  Spirit  and  the  in- 
dividual human  spirit ;  the  Church  composed  only  of 
regenerate  persons;  the  Church  a  brotherhood  of  be- 
lievers ;  the  Bible,  interpreted  by  the  Spirit,  contains  all 
truth  necessary  to  righteous  life  here  and  salvation  here- 
after ;  creeds  of  secondary  importance — The  Church  of 
the  future  a  spiritual  commonwealth ;  how  its  coming 

may  be  hastened 

xi 


xii  COX  TENTS. 

II. 

PAGE 

BEGINNING  AND  GROWTH 33 

Christ's  teaching  concerns  a  Kingdom,  not  a  Church — The 
Apostles  a  brotherhood  rather  than  a  society — After  the 
Master's  death,  the  believers  gradually  organised  for 
more  efificient  work — The  Apostolic  Church — Increase 
in  numbers  compelled  greater  organisation — The  church 
at  Rome,  the  capital  city,  becomes  the  Imperial  Church — 
Christianity,  the  religion  of  the  Empire — Contest  be- 
tween Church  and  State — External  prosperity  causes  de- 
crease of  spirituality — The  primacy  of  Peter  as  a  basis 
for  Roman  supremacy — The  division  into  Greek  and 
Roman — Creeds  and  liturgies  supplant  dependence  on 
the  Spirit — Supremacy  of  the  State — The  Protestant  Ref- 
ormation spiritual  rather  than  ecclesiastical — Luther's 
contention — Calvin,  and  his  new  ecclesiastical  order— 
The  English  Church  severs  its  relations  with  Rome — 
Protestantism  persecuting  as  Romanism — Church  of 
England  established  by  law — The  difference  between 
Puritans  and  Separatists — An  Episcopal  vi-rsus  a  Calvin- 
istic  State — Cromwell  and  the  Parliamentary  army — 
Temporary  separation  of  Church  and  State— Modern 
Congregationalism  in  Great  Britain — The  "  Brownists  " — 
Early  martyrs  to  liberty  of  conscience — Emigration  to 
Holland  and  America — Leaders  among  the  Pilgrims — 
English  Colonies  in  the  New  World — Character  of  the 
Pilgrims — Increase  of  toleration — Nonconformists  in 
Great  Britain  — Gradual  change  in  Independent  theol- 
ogy— Congregationalism  in  the  United  States — Congre- 
gationalism a  principle,  not  an  organisation — The  spirit- 
ual life  the  only  reality  with  the  Pilgrims — Tolerance  of 
the  Independents — Theological  divergence  of  their  de- 
scendants— Congregationalists'  faith  in  the  present 
efficiency  of  the  Living  Spirit — The  Separatists  men  of 
prayer — The  Pilgrims'  ideal  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 


CONTENTS.  XI U 

III. 

PACK 

CHURCH  AND  STATK 83 

The  English  Church  a  part  of  the  Government — Au- 
thority of  the  State  over  the  Church — The  Established 
Church  and  Nonconformity — Introduction  of  Christian- 
ity into  the  British  Isles — Supremacy  of  the  Roman 
Church — Transition  from  Paganism  to  Popery — Co- 
operation of  civil  and  spiritual  authorities — Separation 
of  Church  of  England  from  Rome — The  Church  a  part 
of  the  Government,  and  Henry  the  Eighth  its  head — 
Papal  control  under  Queen  Mary — Authority  of  the 
Crown  reasserted  by  Queen  Elizabeth — The  Puritan 
Revolution — Conformity  to  Prayer  Book  required  ;  tle- 
fection  of  Puritan  clergy — Common  membership  in 
Church  and  State — The  State  in  ecclesiastical  matters — 
Laws  concerning  Church  property — Patronage  and  si- 
mony— Various  measures  passed  since  the  Restoration- 
Union  of  Church  and  State — Points  of  failure  in  the 
English  Establishment — Some  advantages  of  a  State 
Church— Facts  concerning  Nonconformists — A  theocra- 
tic State  a  beautiful  ideal,  but  difficult  of  realisation — 
Disestablishment  inevitable — Difficulties — Separation  of 
Church  and  State  better,  even  for  the  Episcopal  Church 
in  Great  Britain — Ultimate  Disestablishment  to  come 
rather  as  result  of  spiritual  life  within  than  of  agitation 
without. 

IV. 

THE  PRESENT  CONDITION 123 

How  to  study  ecclesiastical  systems— Recognition  won  by 
Nonconformists — Numbers,  influence  and  social  stand- 
ing of  Congregationalists— Statistics  from  the  Year  Book 
of  1892— The  kind  of  work  English  Congregationalists 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

are  doing:  In  local  churches;  in  Foreign  Missions;  in 
Home  Missions  ;  in  City  Missions — Theology  coloured  by 
study  of  social  problems — Poverty  of  the  Free  Churches 
in  country  districts — Independence  of  the  Local  Church 
— Method  of  entering  the  ministry — Change  from  one 
parish  to  another — Certification  of  ministerial  stand- 
ing— Basis  of  union  between  the  churches — Organi- 
sation of  churches — The  County  Unions  and  the  Con- 
gregational Union  of  England  and  Wales— Difference 
between  the  Congregational  Union  of  England  and  Wales 
and  the  National  Council  of  the  United  States — Con- 
cerning reception  of  members  in  churches — Matters  of 
discipline— Emphasis  on  spirit  and  life  rather  than  gov- 
ernment and  authority — Doctrinal  schedules  in  Trust 
Deeds — Belief  in  an  educated  ministry — Nonconform- 
ist academies— Points  of  weakness  in  English  Congrega- 
tionalism— Elements  of  strength — Influence  of  the  Con- 
gregational Union  of  England  and  Wales — Organisation 
for  work  in  the  English  churches — Change  of  emphasis 
from  independency  to  fellowship — Importance  of  Sociol- 
ogy— Death  of  Rev.  Henry  Allon,  D.D. 


CREEDS ^11 

No  general  creed  possible  for  all  Congregational  churches 
— Local  churches  formulate  their  own  Confessions  of 
Faith — The  usage  in  the  Baptist  Church— The  elements 
in  the  Puritan  Revolution — The  Westminster  Assembly 
(1643)— The  Savoy  Assembly  (1658) — Congregational 
Union  Creed  (1883) — Superiority  of  creeds  of  Westmin- 
ster and  Savoy  as  compared  with  later  productions — 
The  Savoy  Confession  of  Faith — Difference  between 
Westminster  and  Savoy  standards — Dr.  Stoughton's  tes- 
timony  on   creeds— Change   in   the   doctrines   held   by 


CONTENTS.  XV 

PAGE 


English  Christians— Confessions  of  Faith  in  New  Eng- 
land—The Westminster  Standard  adopted  in  New  Eng- 
land by  Synod  of  Cambridge  (1648)— Adoption  of  the 
Savoy  Confession  by  Synod  of  Boston  (1680)— Synod  of 
Saybrook  endorses  action  of  former  synods  (1708)— 
Burial  Hill  Confession  (1865)— First  National  Council 
at  Oberlin,  O.,  (1871)— The  Oberhn  Declaration— Creed 
of  the  National  Council  Commission  (1883)— Difference 
between  creeds  of  Congregationalists  and  those  of  other 
denominations. 


VI. 

DOCTRINAL   CONDITIONS   OF    CHURCH    MEM- 
BERSHIP  --5 

Existing  usage  in  admitting  members  to  local  churches- 
Testimony  concerning  the  usage  in  English  churches  — 
Testimony  concerning  usage  in  the  United  States — Sum- 
mary of  usage  on  both  sides  of  the  water— Reasons  for 
the  American  usage — Arguments  in  favor  of  doctrinal 
conditions :  They  preserve  soundness  of  doctrine ;  they 
bind  in  unity  the  whole  membership — Arguments  against 
doctrinal  conditions :  They  violate  the  spirit  and  letter  of 
Scripture ;  they  hinder  progress  in  knowledge  and 
growth  in  spiritual  life  ;  Christ  made  no  such  conditions  ; 
knowledge  of  the  truth  necessary  for  intelligent  assent 
to  them  is  the  fruit  of  the  Christian  life  ;  requiring  as- 
sent to  them  cultivates  intellectual  dishonesty ;  they  mis- 
represent Christianity;  they  bar  from  the  means  of 
grace  many  who  most  need  the  help  and  who  give  evi- 
dence of  the  Christian  life— Questions  of  doctrine  cause 
contention  and  division— No  basis  for  such  requirement 
in  Scripture— The  assumptions  of  such  tests— Doctrinal 
conditions  passing  away. 


XVi  CONTENTS. 

VII. 

FACE 

THE  PULPIT 249 

The  power  of  Protestantism  in  the  Cliristian  pulpit — Im- 
portance to  preachers  of  the  study  of  work  and  methods 
of  other  pulpits — The  three  most  conspicuous  Dissent- 
ing preachers  in  the  seventeenth  century  :  John  Robin- 
son, John  Howe  and  John  Owen — The  two  greatest 
spiritual  forces  of  the  eighteenth  century :  Watts  and 
Doddridge— Nonconformist  preachers  of  the  present 
century — Long  pastorates — John  Angell  James,  Robert 
S.  McAll,  Samuel  Martin,  James  Parsons,  Thomas  Bin- 
ney,  James  Baldwin  Brown,  Henry  AUon,  Joshua  Harri- 
son, Edward  White,  J,  Guinness  Rogers,  Prin.  Fairbairn, 
Alex.  Mackennal,  George  S.  Barrett,  Robert  F.  Horton. 
Charles  A.  Berry,  John  Hunter,  C.  Silvester  Home, 
Robert  W.  Dale,  Joseph  Parker— Preachers  of  English 
Congregationalism  compared  with  those  of  the  Estab- 
lishment— Responsibility  of  the  ministry  for  moral  life 
of  the  State — Influence  of  Nonconformist  preachers  in 
England— Possible  influence  in  the  State  of  the  ministry 
in  all  lands — The  ministry  a  potent  force  in  solving 
social  problems  of  England — Growing  social  conditions 
in  the  United  States  call  for  the  same  work — Great  pul- 
pit orators  of  England  and  America — The  pulpit  not 
losing  its  power. 

vin. 

THE  OUTLOOK 295 

Natural  correspondence  between  doctrine  and  life  in  each 
age — Emphasis  has  passed  from  theology  to  sociology — 
Revival  of  interest  in  Theology — Theological  agitation 
in  England  and  in  the  United  States — English  theology 
influenced  by  social   conditions  -English  theologians — 


CONTENTS.  x\'ii 

PACE 

Education  of  the  Independent  ministry  in  England — Ad- 
vance in  the  direction  of  Christian  unity  and  cooperation 
— "  Tlie  Nonconformist  Conscience  " — Consciousness  of 
imperial  relations — Movement  of  English  Christians 
toward  federation — Theological  outlook  in  English 
churches  —Doctrinal  beliefs  of  English  churches  :  Papers 
read  before  the  International  Council  of  1891  by  Prin- 
cipals Simon  and  Fairbairn,  Rev.  Dr.  Condcr  and  Rev. 
George  S.  Barrett — The  author's  own  impressions  of  the 
English  theological  status— '\\\^  preaching  practical 
rather  than  theological— English  teachers  have  little 
time  for  theological  investigation— Continuous  Inspira- 
tion—The Atonement— Last  Things— Strong  men  in  tlie 
English  pulpit— Independents  to  lead  in  the  future  re- 
ligious development  of  England— Movement  toward  Dis- 
establishment—Influence of  Congregational  principles- 
Relation  of  English  Congregationalism  to  the  Church  of 
the  future— Mutual  relations  of  England  and  America. 

IXDEX. 335-344 


I. 

LIFE  AND  FORM. 


"  If  the  churches  of  Christ  exist  for  the  religion  of  Christ,  then 
their  polities  must  be  looked  at  through  its  nature  and  ends,  spirit 
and  purpose.  The  polity  that  best  interprets  and  realizes  these  is 
the  best  church  polity." — Principal  Fairbairn. 

"  Such  was  the  mild  and  equal  constitution  by  which  the  Christians 
were  governed  more  than  a  hundred  years  after  the  death  of  the 
Apostles.  Every  society  formed  within  itself  a  separate  and  inde- 
pendent republic;  and,  although  the  most  distant  of  these  little  states 
maintained  a  mutual  as  well  as  friendly  intercourse  of  letters  and 
deputations,  the  Christian,  world  was  not  yet  connected  by  any 
supreme  authority  or  legislative  assembly." — GiBBON. 

"All  the  churches  in  those  primitive  times  were  independent 
bodies,  none  of  them  subject  to  the  jurisdiction  of  any  other,  for, 
though  the  churches  which  were  founded  by  the  Apostles  themselves 
frequently  had  the  honor  shown  them  to  be  consulted  in  difficult  and 
doubtful  cases,  yet  they  had  no  judicial  authority,  no  control,  no 
power  of  giving  laws.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  clear  as  the  noon-day 
that  all  Christian  churches  had  equal  rights,  and  were  in  all  respects 
on  a  footing  of  equality." — MosHElM. 


1. 

LIFE  AND  FORM. 

In  beginning  this  study  of  spiritual  life  and  ec- 
clesiastical polity  in  England  our  attention  should 
first  be  directed  toward  the  nature  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  the  processes  through  which  it  has 
passed  from  its  primitive  simplicity  to  its  modern 
complexity. 

"  Churches  and  societies,"  says  Principal  Fair- 
bairn,  "  like  men,  ought  to  be  studied  in  their  actual 
histories,  but  through  their  distinctive  ideals.  The 
most  prosaic  person  has  in  him  a  vein  of  poetry 
which  must  be  found  if  his  behaviour  in  the  higher 
and  more  critical  moments  of  his  life  is  to  be  under- 
stood, and  the  most  utter  church  of  the  Philistines 
has  its  ideal  elements,  were  it  only  the  memory  of 
its  ancient  or  recent  feuds  with  the  people  of  God."* 
The  ideals  of  the  various  denominations  can  be 
learned  only  from  a  study  of  their  historj'.  In  tra- 
cing the  line  along  which  they  move  we  catch  hints 
of  the  goal  toward  which   they  tend.     Each  branch 

*"  Jubilee  Lectures,"  p.  ii. 


4  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

of  the  universal  Church  contains  within  itself  some 
reason  for  its  existence,  but  that  reason  can  be 
understood  only  by  an  examination  of  the  relations 
of  the  parts  to  the  whole.  Clear  views  concerning 
the  Church  are  necessary  to  an  appreciation  of  the 
true  spirit  of  that  fraction  of  it  which  we  call  Con- 
gregational. But  the  Church  is  an  external  and 
visible  society ;  it  exists  in  the  world  in  the  midst 
of  other  institutions,  as  Societies  and  States.  This 
describes  not  the  ideal  but  the  actual  Church  ;  not 
any  one  denomination,  but  all  who  profess  and 
call  themselves  Christians,  and  who  are  associated, 
in  whatever  way,  for  the  promotion  of  Christian 
ends.  As  a  society,  the  Church  has  certain  features 
in  common  with  other  societies.  It  is  composed  of 
men,  governed  by  laws,  operated  according  to 
methods,  has  members,  and  clearly  defined  condi- 
tions of  membership.  In  these  respects  it  resembles 
a  State,  or  a  mutual  improvement  society.  Yet  the 
Church  is  in  a  real  sense  divine,  and  clearly  separated 
from  all  other  institutions.  That  separation  is 
found  in  something  behind  the  external  organiza- 
tion,— in  its  life,  for  there  is  a  corporate  as  well  as 
an  individual  life,  a  life  which  fuses  the  individuals 
in  a  common  and  indivisible  unity. 

We  do  not  expect  to  find  any  institution  perfect 
at  its  beginning.  The  law  of  growth  holds  sway 
among  Societies  and  States  as  distinctly  as  among 
human  beings.     The   doctrine  of  development  has 


LTFE  AND  FORM.  5 

influenced  the  study  of  history  not  less  than  the 
study  of  science.  The  present  cosmic  order  is  the 
result  of  long  processes  of  evolution.  Similar  pro- 
cesses have  operated  in  the  development  of  history. 
If  the  scientist  would  understand,  as  well  as  classify, 
physical  phenomena,  he  must  have  some  clear  idea 
of  life.  If  the  historical  student  would  have  a  phi- 
losophy of  history,  he  must  know  the  principles 
whose  development  he  traces  in  institutions.  And 
if  the  theologian  would  understand  the  Church,  he 
must  have  some  accurate  knowledge  of  the  life 
which  thrills  in  its  members  and  makes  their  union 
an  organism  rather  than  a  mechanism.  Therefore, 
since  ecclesiastical  polity,  so  far  as  it  has  the  slight- 
est claim  upon  the  thought  or  veneration  of  Chris- 
tians, has  it  because  of  indwelling  life,  the  present 
inquiry  concerns  Spiritual  Life  and  Ecclesiastical 
Polity. 

Life  always  precedes  organization.  Without  life 
there  is  no  change.  A  stone  is  a  stone  to  the  end 
of  time,  except  as  it  is  modified  by  external  forces. 
There  can  be  no  organization,  no  co-operation  be- 
tween stones.  Organization  and  co-operation  pre- 
sume life,  and  }'et  life  is  dependent  on  organization 
for  manifestation.  Abstract  life — life  apart  from 
substance  and  form— so  far  as  we  know  has  no 
existence. 

But  organization  is  a  product  of  two  factors, 
namely,  life,   which    determines  the    necessit)'    and 


6  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

kind  of  growth  ;  and  environment,  which  determines 
the  form  of  growth :  and  a  large  proportion  of  all 
environment  is  itself  the  organized  product  of  life. 
Therefore  it  is  accurate  to  say  that  an  organization  is 
chiefly  a  product  of  indwelling  life,  and  of  life  man- 
ifesting itself  in  other  organizations  with  which  it 
has  come  in  contact.  The  life  determines  that  a 
tree  shall  be  an  oak  or  a  maple,  and  impels  it  to 
grow,  responding  to  the  attraction  of  the  sun  and 
the  influences  of  the  air  and  the  soil  :  the  environ- 
ment determines  how  it  shall  grow — whether  it  shall 
be  sturdy,  with  roots  reaching  deep ;  whether  it 
shall  have  free  expanse  for  its  limbs,  or  whether 
they  shall  be  dwarfed  and  bent.  The  environment 
of  the  tree  is  the  clear  sky,  full  of  light  ;  the  gener- 
ous clouds,  with  abundance  of  rain  ;  the  soil  from 
which  the  roots  gather  moisture,  and  the  forest  or 
field  of  which  it  is  a  part.  The  life  is  neither  the  sky, 
nor  the  soil,  nor  the  rain :  yet  it  uses  and  is  affected 
by  all  in  producing  the  tree.  The  life  organises 
the  human  body  and  determines  whether  it  shall 
be  of  one  race  or  another  ;  but  environment  deter- 
mines whether  that  life  shall  make  for  itself  a 
body  from  abundance  and  comfort,  with  every  op- 
portunity of  perfect  development,  or  whether  it 
.shall  draw  from  poverty  and  limitation,  with  no  op- 
portunity of  development  along  lines  of  healthful- 
ness  and  beauty.  A  State  is  a  product  of  human 
life-  it  is  more  than  a  congeries  of  individuals:  it  is 


LIFE  AND  FORM. 


that,  plus  some  common  energy  which  works  tow- 
ard unity.  But  circumstances  modify  States  as 
well  as  men,  and  have  much  to  do  with  the  form 
which  they  actually  assume.  The  ideal  in  the 
minds  of  the  founders  of  the  American  Republic 
was  a  free  government,  of  the  people,  by  the  peo- 
ple, and  for  the  people,  but  the  actual  form  is  in 
many  cases  an  oligarchy,  masquerading  in  the  gar- 
ments of  democracy.  That  ideal  has  proved  a  bless- 
ing where  there  has  been  intelligence  and  lofty 
character,  but  a  curse  where  it  has  been  degraded, 
and  made  the  occasion  for  a  mob  usurping  the 
throne  of  rule.  The  final  form  of  the  republican 
theory  of  the  State  will  be  a  joint  product,  of  the 
principles  of  our  fathers  and  of  the  circumstances 
in  which  those  principles  have  been  developed. 

What  is  true  of  trees,  human  beings,  and  States, 
is  equally  true  of  the  Church.  A  tree  is  life  mani- 
festing itself  in  forms  of  matter  ;  a  man,  life  mani- 
festing itself  in  humanity;  a  State,  life  manifesting 
itself  in  forms  of  government  :  and  the  Church  is 
the  Divine  Life  manifesting  itself  in  the  society  of 
redeemed  souls.  The  Church,  like  the  State,  the 
human  body,  and  the  tree,  is  a  joint  product  of  life 
and  environment.  Its  beginning  was  the  life  that 
was  in  Christ,  and  which  was  imparted  to  those  who 
accepted  Christ  as  Master  and  Lord.  The  growth 
of  the  Church  is  necessitated  by  its  life,  but  the 
forms  in   which  it  has  actually  been  manifested— as 


8  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

in  individuals  and  communities — have  changed  with 
its  circumstances.  At  first  it  was  limited  to  a  few 
unlettered  fishermen  and  devout  Jews  who  instinc- 
tively, under  a  common  impulse,  associated  in  simple 
forms  of  fellowship.  Afterwards  it  appeared  in 
many  lands,  under  different  skies,  in  men  with  differ- 
ent tendencies,  different  conditions,  and  difTerent 
ideals.  The  church  in  Corinth,  having  the  same 
general  characteristics,  was  yet  very  unlike  the  church 
in  Jerusalem.  The  latter  strongly  emphasized  the 
law  and  the  sacrifices,  and  constantly  tended  to 
revert  to  them;  the  former,  situated  in  the  midst  of  a 
corrupt  but  splendid  heathenism,  was  more  or  less 
influenced  by  pagan  customs  and  corrupt  social  stand- 
ards. A  little  later  the  Divine  Life  which  was  in 
the  Master  and  the  Apostles,  having  invaded  Europe, 
conquered  the  Empire,  and  in  turn  was  modified  by 
it,  until  the  simple  beliefs  and  ecclesiastical  meth- 
ods of  the  early  Christians  well-nigh  disappeared  in 
heathen  rites  and  practices,  in  secular  theories  and 
aims.  A  tree  cannot  be  the  same  on  the  summit  of 
the  Sierras  as  in  the  valley  of  the  Amazon.  On  the 
heights  the  growths  go  deep  and  take  firm  hold  on 
the  rocks;  tempests  blow  and  lightnings  play,  but  the 
forests  remain  companions  with  the  mountains  for 
thousands  of  years.  So  the  Church,  when  it  has 
been  exposed  to  persecution  and  has  had  to  struggle 
for  existence,  has  developed  a  strength,  and  its  mem- 
bers a  grandeur  of  character,  unknown  in  prosper- 


LIFE  AND  FORM.  g 

ous  times.  Spiritual  life  manifests  itself  through 
organization,  which  is  a  product  not  only  of  indwell- 
ing life  but  also  of  environment.  Necessarily,  there- 
fore, the  pure  and  perfect  life  will  be  long  in  freeing 
itself  from  its  impure  and  imperfect  environment. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  for  centuries  the  Church  was 
more  and  more  pervaded  by  corrupt  and  secular 
elements. 

At  first  life  is  largely  influenced  by  environment, 
but  later  it  becomes  nearly  impervious  to  surround- 
ing influences.  The  body  of  a  child  may  be  dwarfed, 
but  no  power  can  put  a  full-grown  man  back  to 
childhood.  When  the  constitution  is  firm  and 
strong  it  easily  resists  that  to  which  before  it  would 
have  yielded.  Society  in  primitive  conditions  is 
made  up  of  individuals  who  are  influenced  not  simply 
by  air  and  light,  but  whose  thoughts  are  coloured  by 
every  mood  of  the  sky,  and  whose  characters  arc 
moulded  by  every  sound  which  they  hear.  Then 
superstitions  are  prevalent ;  but  with  the  years  life 
asserts  itself,  progress  changes  the  conditions,  and 
superstitions  are  sloughed  off.  The  State  origi- 
nally was  only  a  mob  in  which  the  strongest  had 
precedence.  It  has  grown  through  various  stages 
to  an  organization  in  which  the  will  of  the  people  is 
expressed  through  law.  Civilized  nations  are  now 
co-operative  institutions,  composed  of  individuals 
working  together  for  purposes  of  mutual  protection 
and  advancement  ;  and  all  nations  which  have  not 


10  THE  PILCKTM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

reached  this  stage  are  in  the  throes  of  a  more  or 
less  evident  and  serious  revokition. 

As  individuals,  society,  and  the  State  reach  higher 
conditions  through  successive  eras  of  civilisation, 
gradually  mastering  unpropitious  circumstances,  so 
the  Church  moves  slowly  toward  the  realisation 
of  its  ideal.  The  perfect  Church  is  far  in  the  future. 
When  it  appears  the  life  of  God  will  have  unhin- 
dered manifestation  in  and  through  redeemed 
humanity.  But  before  that  altitude  can  be  reached 
there  must  be  co-operation  between  what  is  called 
spiritual  life  and  its  environment  ;  the  life  must 
subject  the  environment  to  its  sway,  eliminating 
and  casting  off  what  is  false  and  corrupt  and  appro- 
priating for  its  own  growth  what  is  healthful  and 
good. 

Such  a  movement  is  in  progress — all  too  little 
emphasized — and  consequently  society  itself  is  in 
process  of  transformation.  As  individuals  are  re- 
generated, their  new  ideals  and  customs  modify  old 
usages  and  institutions.  Society  is  becoming  more 
Christian.  As  an  illustration  of  this,  the  code  of 
duelling  has  disappeared  from  most  civilised  lands 
simply  because  Christian  principles  have  begun  to 
prevail.  In  the  State  there  is  a  gradual  but  sure 
movement  toward  international  arbitration,  not  be- 
cause the  nations  are  yet  regenerate,  but  because 
they  have  felt  the  influence  of  Christian  principles. 
Institutions  are   improving  and  customs  changing, 


T.IFE  AND  FORM.  II 

and  the  world  is  different  to-d.i)-  from  wh.it  it  was 
a  centui)'  ago,  because  the  "  redemption  of  society  " 
is  going  on  coincident  with  the  conversion  of  in- 
dividuals. The  spiritual  life  is  transforming  so- 
ciety, both  by  the  regeneration  of  individuals,  and 
by  the  influence  of  their  example  and  teaching  on 
others,  which  makes  a  new  and  favourable  environ- 
ment in  which  the  Divine  Life  may  advance  more 
swiftly.  - 

And  now  we  come  to  a  question  which  needs  but 
little  consideration  here — What  is  the  Church  ? 
This  is  not  so  much  a  question  about  a  term  (no 
real  light  is  gained  from  Hebrew  or  Greek  ct}'mol- 
ogy)  as  about  the  social  relations  of  men  who  have 
life.  Our  Lord  said  :  ''I  am  come  that  ye  might 
have  life."  Me  said  next  to  nothing  about  the 
Church,  but  very  much  both  before  and  after  his 
resurrection  about  the  spiritual  and  social  relations 
of  believers.  The  word  "Church  "  is  mentioned  but 
twice  in  the  four  gospels.  Christ  said  much  about 
the  Kingdom.  "  Kingdom  "  he  used  in  a  large  way, 
as  indicating  the  fellowship  of  those  who  have  the 
life,  and  with  him  the  Church  and  the  Kingdom 
seem  to  have  been  practicall}'  synonymous  terms. 
In  the  Acts  and  the  Epistles  is  a  still  clearer  recog- 
nition of  the  Church  as  "  the  fellowship  of  those 
who  have  the  life." 

In  the  New  Testament  there  are  to  be  fountl 
no    formal     rules    concerningf    the    government    of 


12  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

churches,  and  yet  there  are  many  principles  and 
precedents  applicable  to  the  Church  in  all  time. 
Christians  had  many  gifts,  and  it  was  made  clear 
that  there  was  a  place  for  their  exercise  in  the  new 
society.  There  is  little  in  the  New  Testament  that 
is  definite  concerning  ofifices  in  the  Church.  There 
were  ofificers — pastors,  elders,  teachers,  deacons — 
but  the  of^ce  was  of  less  importance  than  its  duties. 
The  spheres  of  work  were  not  strictly  defined,  and 
not  much  stress  was  laid  on  offices,  or  officers,  of 
any  kind.  Only  one  thing  is  unquestionable:  the 
most  honourable  position  was  that  of  servant.  The 
Apostolic  office  was  temporary  ;  and  but  two  of- 
ficers were  general  and  permanent,  namely,  bishops 
(overseers,  care-takers)  or  pastors,  and  deacons.  It 
must  be  said,  however,  that  many  believe  that  there 
were  three  grades  of  service  in  the  early  Church, 
and  that  there  are  also  three  in  the  modern  Church, 
so  far  as  it  is  Scriptural  and  Apostolic,  If  these 
questions  had  had  any  importance  in  the  minds  of 
the  Master  and  the  Apostles  they  would  have  been 
stated  with  greater  precision  and  fulness.  The  dis- 
ciples sought  to  bring  men  to  Christ,  and,  having 
accomplished  that,  left  them  to  themselves  and  the 
•Spirit  of  Truth,  content  that  the  life  in  each  should 
manifest  itself  in  its  own  way.  How  different  the 
tone  of  the  Scriptures  when  dealing  with  moral  and 
spiritual  subjects  !  The  Epistles  show  a  realisa- 
tion that  their  writers  were  in  a  life-and-dcath  con- 


LIFE  AND  FORM.  1 3 

test  with  heathenism,  whose  vices  were  threatening 
the  corruption  and  defilement  of  the  new  society. 
Concerning  ethical  subjects  there  is  a  clearness  and 
precision  not  found  when  questions  of  polity  are 
treated. 

Principal  Fairbairn  says :  "  Paul  writes  to  many 
churches,  and  many  churches  confess  him  their 
founder  and  teacher,  but  his  letters  are  expository 
or  expostulatory,  hortatory  or  biographical,  and  as 
far  as  possible  from  speaking  with  legal  or  political 
authority.  No  man  ev^er  had  a  doctrinal  system  so 
carefully  articulated,  or  labored  more  to  make  it 
intelligible  or  credible  to  the  societies  he  formed  ; 
yet  no  man  ever  so  carefully  avoided  building  the 
societies  he  erected  at  Galatia  and  Rome,  Ephesus 
and  Colosse,  Philippi  and  Thessalonica,  Corinth  and 
Athens,  into  a  political  corporation.  His  unity  of 
the  faith  did  not  mean  '  organised  uniformity.'  And 
the  same  is  true  of  the  other  apostolic  writers."  * 

What  Dr.  Fairbairn  has  said  concerning  "  organ- 
ised uniformity"  of  faith  might  also  have  been  said 
concerning  the  nature  and  growth  of  the  Church. 
Spiritual  life  is  not  imparted  by  baptism.  There 
may  be  baptism  and  no  life,  and  there  may  be  life 
and  no  baptism.  Life  is  known  by  fruit.  The 
Master  spoke  to  his  disciples  ;  the  disciples  repeated 
the  message  to  others,  and  left  it  to  do  its  own 
Avork.  As  the  story  was  told  in  distant  lands  those 
*  "Jubilee  Lectures,"  pp.  21  and  22. 


14  THE  PILGRIM  IN  ENGLAND. 

who  had  lived  in  vice  and  crime  felt  their  hearts 
burn  within  them,  new  aspirations  were  started,  old 
habits  laid  aside,  and  they  were  impelled,  like  Saul, 
to  "join  themselves  to  the  church";  and  thus 
gradually  the  Christian  society  has  grown.  If  it 
be  said  that  this  exposition  is  inadequate  because  it 
makes  no  place  for  the  children  of  believers,  our  re- 
ply is,  that  they  are  born  into  the  kingdom  in  which 
their  parents  are,  and  are  to  be  regarded  as  included 
in  the  fold  of  the  Church  unless  they  choose  to  go 
out.  But  they  are  not  made  Christ's  by  being 
"christened  "  ;  they  are  "  christened  "  because  they 
are  already  Christ's  by  reason  of  the  organic  unity 
of  the  family.  Ideally,  the  Church  in  a  community 
is  all  the  individual  Christians  in  that  communit}^ 
whether  in  formal  fellowship  or  not  ;  the  Church  in 
a  State,  all  the  Christians  in  that  State ;  the  Church 
in  the  world,  all  the  Christians  in  the  world.  But 
that  ideal  is  slow  of  realisation,  and  consequently  in 
the  minds  of  many  the  Church  is  composed  of  such 
Christians  in  each  community  as  agree  in  their  intel- 
lectual beliefs  concerning  the  nature  and  operation 
of  the  Divine  Life.  Because  these  beliefs  differ 
there  are  various  denominations,  each  calling  itself 
a  Church.  But  the  life  is  at  work,  and  gradually  in- 
dividuals who  have  experienced  the  new  birth  arc 
coming  together  ;  clearer  and  more  correct  concep- 
tions of  truth  are  resulting,  and  by  the  agency  of 
the   Spirit  there  is  slowly  coming  into  realization 


LIFE  AND  FORM.  I  5 

what  has  always  been  impossible  to  human  in- 
genuity,— something  like  a  real  and  vital  unity. 

As  a  result  of  this  study  we  arc  brought  to  a 
conclusion  already  stated,  but  which  we  now  more 
fully  develop — that  the  ideal  Church  is  not  yet  in 
sight.  At  this  point  a  few  principles  require  em- 
phasis : 

{a)  What  is  best  for  one  age  may  not  be  best  for 
another.  In  the  nature  of  things,  while  the  Church 
can  never  cease  to  be  a  free  brotherhood  of  believ- 
ers, the  institutions  through  which  it  operates  will 
in  the  nineteenth  century  be  no  more  like  those 
of  the  first  than  the  clothing  of  a  full-grown  man 
is  like  that  of  an  infant.  Principles  are  eternal; 
institutions  fluent  and  flexible.  There  has  been 
progress  in  every  department  of  life.  The  world  is 
both  larger  and  smaller  than  when  the  Apostles 
lived.  Lands  of  which  the  wisest  of  that  age  never 
dreamed  are  now  centres  of  population  and  civil- 
isation. The  great  Empire  has  been  dismembered, 
and  new  Empires  greater  still  have  arisen.  The 
democratic  principle  has  come  to  the  front,  and  by 
it  all  political  policies  are  moulded.  No  institutions 
are  the  same  now  as  then,  and  least  of  all  the 
Church.  That  which  was  best  for  a  few  scattered 
communities  in  the  midst  of  heathenism,  presump- 
tively would  not  be  best  for  the  nineteenth  century, 
when  Christianity  from  being  "  a  despicable  supersti- 
tion "  has  become  the  mightiest  of  forces.     Growth 


1 6  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

within  always  necessitates  change  without.  This 
principle  is  illustrated  in  Hebrew  history.  Laws 
which  were  necessary  in  the  Exodus  were  laid  aside 
long  before  the  Advent.  What  was  imperative  for 
the  government  of  a  rabble  of  newly  emancipated 
slaves  would  have  been  useless  if  applied  to  their 
descendants  fifteen  hundred  years  later.  The  Jew- 
ish church,  after  the  priestly  system  had  done  its 
work,  after  the  prophets  had  thrilled  and  inspired  it 
with  almost  preternatural  eloquence,  after  the  psalm- 
ists had  breathed  into  it  the  breath  of  immortal 
music,  was  little  like  that  which  was  preceded  by  a 
pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  a  pillar  of  fire  by  night. 
If  the  Apostolic  Church  was  Congregational,  Presby- 
terian, or  Episcopal,  it  would  not  follow  that  any 
one  of  these  forms  would  be  best  in  the  nineteenth 
century ;  nor  is  it  at  all  probable  that  the  rites  and 
order  standing  to-day  will  be  desirable  when  nine- 
teen centuries  more  have  passed.  The  Divine  Life 
has  always  adjusted  itself  to  its  environment,  and 
always  will.  It  may  be  enveloped  by  corruptions 
and  superstitions  ;  if  so,  its  growth  will  be  tempo- 
rarily thwarted  and  hindered,  but  as  the  environment 
becomes  purer  the  life  will  have  freer  manifestation. 
"  A  form  of  government  which  was  the  best  possible 
organisation  for  the  church  of  the  first  century  may 
perhaps  have  been  the  worst  possible  for  the  organ- 
isation of  the  third."  * 
*  Dale's  "  Manual  of  Congregationalism,"  p.  5. 


LIFE  AND  FORM.  I7 

{J})  What  is  best  for  one  class  may  not  be  best 
for  another.  Dean  Stanley  has  illustrated  this  with 
eloquence  and  force  in  his  sermon  on  "  Diversity  in 
Unity."  He  sa}-s :  "So  far  from  diversity  being 
contrary  to  the  genius  of  Christianity,  it  was  involved 
in  the  religion  of  our  Divine  Founder  from  the  ver\- 
beginning  ;  and  so  far  from  its  being  a  reasonable 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  its  reception  it  ought  to  be 
one  of  the  chief  commendations  of  it  to  the  recep- 
tion of  those  to  whom  it  is  addressed."  *  The  Dean 
then  shows  how  diversity  of  creeds  has  resulted  in 
emphasis  on  different  but  equally  important  truths  ; 
that  it  was  Ulfilas,  the  Arian  Bishop,  who  evangel- 
ised the  Gothic  tribes  of  Northern  Europe,  and  that 
from  him  was  derived  the  first  translation  of  the 
Scriptures  into  our  modern  tongue  ;  that  he  was 
the  precursor  of  Augustine,  Boniface  and  Adelbert  : 
that  the  first  missions  through  the  whole  of  Central 
Asia  were  established  by  the  followers  of  the  once 
persecuted,  exiled  and  detested  Nestorius  ;  that  the 
boatmen  of  Madras,  as  they  dash  through  the  peril- 
ous waves  which  encircle  their  weather-beaten  shore, 
still  invoke  the  name  of  Francis  Xavier,  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  most  repulsive  and  offensive  phase 
of  the  Roman  church — the  Society  of  Jesuits.  The 
Dean  might  have  gone  farther  in  his  illustrations 
concerning  the  influence  of  doctrine,  but  he  preferred 
to  show  how  diversity  of  organisation  has  adjusted 

*  "  Westminster  Sermons,"  p.  344. 


1 8  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

itself  to  different  nationalities,  and  with  a  fine  en- 
thusiasm, and  beautiful  charity,  has  not  failed  to 
acknowledge  that  the  Divine  Life  has  been  mani- 
fested in  many  ways  in  many  lands.  On  the  other 
hand,  Dr.  Dale,  in  his  address  before  the  Interna- 
tional Council,  with  a  charity  equally  fine,  said : 
"  Among  the  men  from  whom  we  are  divided  by 
cruel  conflicts,  but  from  whom  our  hearts  should 
never  be  estranged,  we  recognise  a  saintliness  shin- 
ing with  a  glory  that  has  its  fountains  in  God.  In 
their  very  contention  and  argument  for  errors  which 
seem  to  us  to  obscure  the  light  and  impair  the  power 
of  the  Christian  gospel  we  catch  an  accent  which  is 
the  sign  that  they,  too,  are  the  children  of  the 
Eternal.  If  they  maintain  with  passionate  earnest- 
ness a  doctrine  of  the  Priesthood  and  of  the  Sacra- 
ments which  appears  to  us  to  be  irreconcilable  with 
the  whole  spirit  and  substance  of  the  Christian 
faith ;  if  they  regard  those  who  reject  and  assail 
this  doctrine  as  the  worst  enemies  of  the  human 
race,  it  is  because  for  them  the  Sacraments  when 
duly  administered  are  the  appointed  means  by  which 
the  grace  of  God  first  originates  and  then  sustains 
the  Divine  life  in  man.  It  is  this  which  in  their 
judgment  makes  the  sacramental  and  sacerdotal 
controversy  so  critical,  so  awful  ....  They  are  con- 
tending for  the  sacredness  and  efficacy  of  the  in- 
stitutions by  which  they  believe  that  the  eternal  life 
of  God  is  made  the  actual  possession  of  mankind." 


LIFE  AND  FORM. 


19 


(f)  It  follows  of  iicccssit}'  that  the  form  of  church 
govertimcnt  which  prevailed  in  Apostolic  times  may 
not  be  best  for  all  time.  There  were  seven  dea- 
cons in  the  early  church,  and  while  that  may  indi- 
cate that  the  office  of  deacon  is  essential,  it  is  no 
indication  that  there  should  not  be  more  or  less 
than  seven  in  modern  churches.  At  one  time  the 
twelve  Apostles  were  ministers  of  the  church  in  Je- 
rusalem, and  while  that  ma)'  indicate  that  the  n\in- 
istry  as  a  distinct  office  is  desirable,  it  does  not  im- 
ply that  each  church  now  should  have  twelve  min- 
isters. It  would  hardly  become  us,  who  believe  that 
our  polit}'  is  most  like  to  that  of  the  Apostolic  age 
and  has  most  hope  for  the  future,  in  any  way  to  be- 
little the  church  of  the  Apostolic  Era.  Rather  kt 
us  emphasise  its  excellences.  It  was  2i  free  spiritual 
brotherhood,  where  men  lived  in  the  spirit  and 
walked  in  the  spirit.  "  Clergy  and  laity  did  not 
stand  sharply  opposed  to  each  other,  distinguished 
and  divided  by  official  (which  are  ever  fictitious) 
sanctities.  Nay,  clergy  and  laity  did  not  even  exist. 
The  most  eminent  distinctions  were  moral,  the  best 
gifts  spiritual,  and  possible  to  all.  The  man  who 
lived  nearest  to  God  stood  highest  among  men  ;  he 
who  loved  most  lived  the  best.  Oflice  carried  with 
it  no  special  sanctity;  sanctity  only  qualified  for  of- 
fice." ■" 

While  to  us  it  seems  as  if,  whatever  the  changes 
*  Fairbairn,  "  Jubilee  Lectures,"  p.  xlvi. 


20  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

of  the  future,  the  ideal  of  a  "  free  spiritual  brother- 
hood "  could  never  be  surpassed,  as  if  it  would 
grow  young  without  ceasing,  we  cannot  think  of  in- 
sisting that  it  contains  all  the  glory  of  the  ultimate 
church.  That,  like  the  New  Jerusalem,  has  still  to 
descend  from  God  out  of  heaven.  Concerning  the 
constitution  of  the  Church,  "  God  has  yet  more 
light  to  break  from  his  Holy  Word." 

While  we  have  at  the  best  dim  and  uncertain 
hints  concerning  the  Church  which  is  to  be,  we  may 
yet  ask.  How  may  we  best  help  toward  its  realisa- 
tion? Our  reply  is,  Each  individual  Christian  will 
do  most  toward  hastening  the  "  Church  of  the  fu- 
ture "  by  being  loyal  to  the  principles  which  he  be- 
lieves to  be  true,  and  seeking  to  give  to  them  full- 
est and  most  perfect  expression.  When  the  founda- 
tions of  that  noble  Church  are  laid,  and  its  walls 
raised  in  fair  colours,  it  will  be  found  to  combine 
something  both  of  the  doctrine  and  polity  of  widely 
differing  and  perhaps  even  antagonistic  denomina- 
tions. Toleration  does  not  imply  disloyalty  to  prin- 
ciple. It  has  been  said  that  sectarianism  necessitates 
toleration.  It  were  better  said  that  clear  views  of  in- 
dividual limitations  promote  toleration.  The  mem- 
bers of  each  denomination  of  Christians  are  selected 
for  the  purpose  of  cutting  and  finishing  separate 
stones  in  the  Christian  cathedral,  and  the  struc- 
ture will  be  completed  and  glorified  not  by  each 
one  neglecting   his    own   distinctive   principles,  but 


LIFE  AND  FORM.  21 

rather  by  all  doing  their  work,  emphasising  the  spe- 
cial revelations  given  to  them,  and,  at  last,  bringing 
that  which  has  been  put  into  their  hands,  finished 
and  beautiful,  for  the  Master's  use. 

Therefore,  in  no  spirit  of  denominational  rivalry, 
we  turn  to  what  may  be  regarded  as  the  truths 
which  distinguish  the  Pilgrims  and  their  churches. 
Church  polity  is  a  part  of  religion,  though  an  infe- 
rior part.  If  there  is  any  real  religion  it  will  mani- 
fest itself  more  or  less  in  ecclesiastical  institutions. 
Life  must  ever  move  on  the  world  by  means  of 
form.  If  there  is  vital  piety  among  Christians 
there  will  be  something  to  stimulate  spirituality  in 
the  institutions  through  which  they  work.  It  is 
one  thing  to  affirm  that  there  is  somewhat  of  relig- 
ion in  our  institutions,  and  very  different  to  declare 
that  there  is  nothing  of  it  in  the  institutions  of 
others. 

(l.)  The  Pilgrims  and  their  children  on  both  sides 
of  the  Atlantic  have  ever  recognised  a  personal 
relation  between  the  Divine  Spirit  and  the  individ- 
ual human  spirit.  This  has  never  been  more  clearly 
stated  than  by  Jonathan  Edwards  in  his  sermon 
entitled,  "  A  Divine  and  Supernatural  Light  imme- 
diately imparted  to  the  Soul,  shown  to  be  both  a 
Scriptural  and  Rational  Doctrine."  In  that  ser- 
mon he  says  :  "  What  I  would  make  the  subject  of 
the  present  discourse  from  these  words  is,  that 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  spiritual  and  divine  light 


22  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  EXGLAND. 

immediately  imparted  to  the  soul  by  God  of  a  dif- 
ferent nature  from  any  that  is  obtained  by  natural 
means."  Sacerdotal  systems  have  put  priests  and 
sacraments  between  the  individual  and  his  God. 
"  Church  polities  may  be  divided  into  two  great 
great  classes — the  monarchical  and  the  republican."  * 
The  episcopal  and  the  prelatical  forms  are  monarch- 
ical. What  are  known  as  the  "Free  Churches"  are 
more  or  less  democratic  under  Christ ;  the  funda- 
mental principle  of  their  faith  is  that  the  human 
spirit  may  hold  personal  communion  with  the 
Divine  Spirit.  Dr.  Dale  says  :  "  The  church,  this 
is  the  Congregational  ideal,  is  a  society,  larger  or 
smaller,  consisting  of  those  who  have  received  the 
Divine  life,  and  who,  with  whatever  inconsistency  and 
whatever  failure,  are  endeavouring  to  live  through 
the  power  of  it.  All  that  is  characteristic  of  Congre- 
gationalism lies  in  that  ideal. "f  Over  and  over  again 
Dr.  Dale  reiterates  the  fact  that  both  the  Church  and 
the  regenerate  individual  are  the  temples  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  The  same  truth  is  emphasised  by  Dr. 
Dexter:  He  says:  "Our  system  attaches  itself — 
so,  reverently,  to  speak — directly  to  God  without 
intermediate  machinery.  It  holds  that  the  Great 
Head  of  the  Church  dwells  in  every  true  believer,  to 
prompt  and  shape  his  acts.  It  holds  that  He  pre- 
eminently dwells  in  every  church  of  such  believers, 

*  Fairbairn,  "  Jubilee  Lectures,"     p.  17. 

t  Address  at  "The  International  Council,  London,  1891." 


LIFE  AXD  FOKAf.  23 

giving  definite  promise  of  guidance  to  them  in  their 
associated  capacity  in  answer  to  their  united  suppli- 
cation. It  holds  especially  that  He  pledges  His 
peculiar  presence  by  His  illuminating  Spirit  when 
those  churches  humbly  and  reverently  confer  in 
council,  desiring  His  light  in  darkness  and  His  calm 
in  storm.  And  so  what  the  hierarchical  organisa- 
tions seek  through  their  hierarchy,  and  the  presby- 
terial  congregations  look  for  through  their  graded 
courts.  Congregational  believers  seek — and  rightly 
seeking  find — at  first  hand,  directly  from  the  inspi- 
ration of  God  within  their  own  souls,  and  the  super- 
vision of  God  over  their  Congegational  acts."  * 

These  two  passages  fairly  state  the  fundamental 
Congregational  principle.  Liberty  of  conscience  is 
its  direct  and  necessary  outgrowth.  The  Pilgrim 
Fathers  revolted  from  the  old  church  more  because 
fallible  human  authority  presumed  to  usurp  the 
prerogative  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  and  to  require  what, 
in  their  view,  was  contrarj-  to  the  Scriptures  of  truth, 
than  because  of  dissatisfaction  with  current  cus- 
toms and  ceremonies.  The  history  of  Puritanism 
has  been  one  prolonged  assertion  that  the  indix'id- 
ual  may  open  his  heart  directly  to  the  Divine  Spirit, 
and  without  the  mediation  of  priest,  or  sacrament, 
receive  messages  from  the  Eternal  Light.  That 
principle  has  led  to  apparent  differences,  but  the 
differences  in  the  end  have  helped   to  advance  the 

♦"Congregationalism  as   Seen  in  its  Literature,"  pp.  706-7. 


24  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Kingdom.  Loyalty  to  it  divided  the  Independents 
into  Congregationalists  and  Baptists.  In  these  days 
of  doubt  and  panic  concerning  the  possible  results 
of  criticism,  the  utterance  of  Dr.  Dale  rings  like  a 
bugle-note.  He  says:  "I  should  like  to  ask 
whether  in  our  relations  to  the  controversies  of  our 
times  the  Congregational  idea  of  the  church  has 
exerted  its  proper  and  adequate  influence.  We 
believe  that  a  church  is  a  society  of  men  possessing 
the  life  of  the  Eternal  Son  of  God,  and  having  direct 
access  through  Him  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  to 
the  Father ;  of  men  knowing  for  themselves  at 
first  hand  the  reality  and  glory  of  the  Christian 
redemption  ;  of  men  to  whom  the  truth  of  the 
Christian  Gospel  is  authenticated  by  a  most  certain 
experience — the  experience  not  of  the  individual 
life  merely,  but  of  a  society.  Is  this  consistent 
with  the  agitation,  the  heat,  the  panic  created  by 
the  assaults  of  critics  on  the  historic  records  of 
the  Jewish  and  Christian  Revelations  ?  We  of  all 
men  should  keep  calm.  .  .  For  us  every  church  is 
a  society  of  original  and  independent  witnesses  to 
the  grace  and  power  of  Christ."  * 

(ll.)  Congregationalists  insist  that  the  Church  is 
composed  only  of  regenerate  persons.  "  The  apos- 
tolic churches  consisted  of  those,  and  of  those  only, 
who  made  a  personal  profession  of  their  faith  in 
Christ,  and  who,  on  the  ground  of  this  profession, 

*  International  Council  Address,  1891 — London. 


LIFE  AA'D  FOK.U.  2$ 

were  received  into  the  Christian  assembly.  They 
are  therefore  addressed  in  the  apostolic  epistles  as 
*  faithful  brethren  '  and  as  *  saints  in  Christ  Jesus.*  "  ■••' 
This  princii)lc  has  always  distinguished  Congrega- 
tionalism, and  this  is  its  chief  contention  with  the 
Establishment.  In  an  Erastian  church  all  citizens 
of  the  nation  would  be  members  of  the  church  ; 
although  the  High  Church  party  in  the  Anglican 
Communion  would  limit  church  membership  to  bap- 
tised citizens.  Citizenship,  and  not  Christian  char- 
acter, would  thus  become  the  condition  of  entrance 
into  the  fold  of  Christ.  During  the  Commonwealth 
the  Independents,  as  distinguished  from  the  Puritans, 
maintained  the  doctrine  that  the  Church  is  com- 
posed only  of  regenerate  persons.  The  English 
Congregational  churches  lay  even  more  stress  upon 
this  point  than  the  American,  because  they  are  dail)' 
brought  in  contact  with  that  system  of  church  pol- 
ity which  not  oiih-  includes  believers  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  but  which  also  has  a  place  for  those 
who  deny  him  in  word,  and  belie  him  by  vileness 
of  character.  In  the  United  States,  conditions  of 
church  membership  have  been  doctrinal  rather  than 
ethical ;  in  the  free  Churches  of  England,  ethical 
rather  than  doctrinal.  I  do  not  mean  that  we  ha\'e 
not  emphasised  morality,  but  rather  that  the  empha- 
sis has  been  put  upon  belief.  In  England  no  formal 
doctrinal  tests  of  church  membership  are   allowed. 

*  Dale's  "  Manual,"  p.  6. 


26  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

'*  When  such  a  creed  has  been  once  adopted  and 
emphasised  a  church  is  no  longer  under  the  immedi- 
ate control  of  the  Living  Christ.  Its  freedom  and 
its  independence  are  lost  :  it  is  governed  not  indeed 
by  the  decrees  of  an  external  council  or  synod,  but 
by  the  decrees  of  the  dead."*  The  freedom  of  the 
spirit  is  fundamental  with  English  Congregational- 
ists,  and  it  is  that  which  leads  them  to  decline  to 
make  doctrinal  tests  of  church  membership,  while 
at  the  same  time  they  insist  with  a  rigour  unknown 
elsewhere  on  regenerate  character.  That  doctrine 
is  fundamental,  because  Congregationalists  believe 
that  "acceptance  of  Christ  "  and  the  "  new  birth" 
are  vital  and  not  merely  formal  processes. 

(ill.)  Congregationalists  hold  to  the  theory  that 
the  Church  is  a  brotherhood  of  believers.  "  The 
Anglican  emphasised  the  idea  of  the  church,  its  unity, 
authority,  order,  but  the  Independent  emphasised 
the  idea  of  religion,  the  personal  relation  of  God  to 
the  soul  and  the  soul  to  God.  .  .  .  The  Anglican 
made  obedience  to  the  church  a  question  for  the 
magistrate,  bound  the  sovereign  and  the  church  in 
relations  which  placed  the  sovereign  above  its  disci- 
pline, and  placed  the  church  under  his  authorit}' ; 
but  the  Independent  made  obedience  to  God  the 
distinctive  characteristic  of  the  religious  ;  theciiurch 
independent  of  the  magistrate,  the  sovereign  able  to 
exercise  no  authority  over  it,  with  no  standing  in  it 

*  Dale's  "  Manual  of  Congregatioiialisni,"  p.  187. 


LIFE  AND  FORM.  2/ 

as  a  prince,  only  as  a  man,  as  such  amenable  to  it 
for  his  conduct,  liable  like  other  men  to  censure  for 
ungodliness,  or  to  honour  if  he  did  well."  *  Rev. 
l^r\an  Dale  has  tersely  condensed  the  same  idea  as 
follows:  "The  Anglican  says.  Hear  the  Church  I 
the  Congregationalist,  Hear  ye  Him!  " 

In  the  Pilgrim  polity  there  is  no  place  for  caste  or 
any  distinctions  not  resulting  from  spiritual  character. 
Its  motto  is — "One  is  your  Master,  even  Ciirist, 
and  all  ye  are  brethren."  The  minister  is  not  one  ex- 
alted above  the  others,  but  one  called  to  special  ser- 
vice because  of  peculiar  gifts,  and  no  more  entitled  to 
honour  for  the  work  he  does  than  the  care-taker  of 
the  church,  or  the  humblest  member  who  can  do 
little  except  pray  and  wait.  Wealth  gives  no  stand- 
ing, culture  no  authority;  all  arc  one  in  Christ. 

A  necessary  corollary  of  this  truth  is  that  the 
whole  body  of  believers  constituting  a  local  church 
should  be  trusted.  Not  to  the  committee,  or  to  the 
deacons,  or  to  any  company  of  elect  spirits,  do  the 
affairs  of  the  church  exclusively  belong,  but  to  the 
whole  membership.  That  was  clearly  true  in  the 
Apostolic  times.  When  a  successor  of  Judas  was 
selected  he  was  chosen  by  ballot,  not  b)'  the 
Apostles,  but  by  the  believers  in  Jerusalem.  And 
when  the  first  strife  arose  in  the  Jerusalem-church 
concerning  the  care  of  the  Grecian  widows,  Peter 
said,   "  Choose   ye    out    for    yourselves " — in    other 

*  Fairbairn,  "Jubilee  Lectures,"  pp.   54-55. 


28  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

words,  the  deacons  were  not  elected  by  the  Apostles, 
but  by  the  whole  membership.  This  principle  is 
fundamental,  but  can  be  preserved  onl}^  by  constant 
vigilance.  Wealth  and  power  seek  influence  for 
themselves.  He  who  has  a  large  place  in  the  world 
naturally  expects  a  large  place  in  the  Church.  Sel- 
fish, and  sometimes  even  vicious  men  import  into 
the  religious  community  methods  which  savour  of 
the  caucus  and  the  exchange.  In  a  society  of 
regenerate  persons  the  only  distinctions  which  can 
be  recognised  without  peril  are  those  which  result 
from  character  and  spiritual  discernment ;  in  other 
words,  which  result  from  the  recognition  that  some 
have  given  more  generous  hospitality  to  the  Spirit 
of  God  than  others. 

These  three  truths,  then,  may  be  called  the  founda- 
tion-stones on  which  the  Congregational  fabric  has 
been  raised  : — the  personal  leadership  of  the  Divine 
Spirit ;  regenerate  character  the  condition  of  reception 
into  the  Church  ;  the  brotherhood  of  all  believers. 

(iv.)  The  Pilgrims  from  the  first  held  that  the 
Bible,  interpreted  by  the  Spirit  to  each  individual, 
contains  all  the  truth  that  is  necessary  to  right- 
eousness in  this  life,  and  salvation  in  the  future. 
Loyalty  to  the  Word  of  God  as  interpreted  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  characterised  those  who  founded  the 
Free  Churches,  and  that  loyalty  has  been  equall)' 
prominent  in  their  descendants.  The  Independents 
differed  from  the  Puritans,  in  the  time  of  Cromwell, 


IJFE  AND  FORM.  2() 

not  SO  much  in  their  loyalty  to  the  Bible  as  in  their 
insistence  on  the  duty  and  privilege  of  private  inter- 
pretation.    The  Presbyterian  and  prclatical  churches 
by   their  representatives  presume    to  extract    from 
the  Word   of   God  its  meaning,  to  put  it  into  other 
forms,  and  to  insist  that  their  interpretation  shall  be 
accepted  as  of  inspired  authority.     The  Thirty-nine 
Articles  and    the   Westminster   Confession  are   the 
statements  of  what  Episcopalians  and  Presbyterians 
believe  to  be  the  teaching  of  the  Word  of  God.    Con- 
gregationalists  as  a  whole  have  never  had  any  general 
Confession.     The  Savoy  Confession  never  had  any 
such  relation  to  the   Independent  churches  of  Eng- 
land as  the  Westminster  Confession  has  had  to  Pres- 
byterian churches  of  England,  and  the  world.     The 
Creed  wliich  appears  in  the  Year-Book   of  the  Con- 
regational  Union  of  England  and  Wales  is  expressly 
said  to  be  published  only  as  a  statement  of  what  is 
believed  \.o  be  the  doctrinal  position  of  the  churches. 
P^ew  local  churches  in   England  have  formal  Confes- 
sions of  Faith  ;  but  there  is  as  great  loyalty  to   the 
Word  of  God  in  Congregational  England  as  in  Pres- 
byterian Scotland.     The  first  article  in  the  unwritten 
creed  of  Congregationalists  affirms  that  every  individ- 
ual Christian  may  open  his  heart  to  the  Divine  Spirit, 
and  by  him  be  led  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth. 

The  Spirit  may  guide  to  the  adoption  of  different 
forms  from  those  which  are  prominent  among  us  to- 
day, but  the  time  will  never  come  in  which  Chris- 


^ 


30  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

tians  will  not  be  spiritually  receptive  in  proportion 
to  the  earnestness  of  their  consecration  to  God ; 
in  which  they  will  not  recognize  that  the  Chris- 
tian Church  is  composed  of  the  brotherhood  of  be- 
lievers, that  the  whole  Church  may  be  trusted,  that 
only  the  regenerate  should  compose  it,  and  that  the 
written  Word  contains  all  the  truth  that  is  necessary 
for  the  life  that  now  is  and  to  lead  to  that  which  is  to 
come.  These  principles  are  not  formulated,  nor  is 
their  acceptance  made  a  condition  of  fellowship. 
Where  there  is  real  loyalty  to  the  fundamental 
truths  of  the  Christian  revelation,  our  polity  necessi- 
tates toleration  of  the  opinions  of  others.  That  is 
inevitable  where  men  believe  that  the  Spirit  works  in 
His  own  way  leading  the  pure  in  heart  to  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  Hence  even  in  the  terrible  struggles 
of  the  Puritan  Revolution,  when  Cromwell  and  his 
Independents  came  into  power,  the  right  of  all  to  do 
their  thinking  for  themselves  was  full}'  respected. 
The  Presbyterian  party  desired  to  substitute  the 
Presbytery  for  the  King,  and  also  the  Presbyterian 
Church  for  the  existing  Establishment.  It  sought 
to  change  the  rulers,  but  proposed  to  leave  the 
government  as  it  was.  Cromwell  and  his  Indepen- 
dents, on  the  other  hand,  sought  to  put  in  the  place 
of  the  Establishment  the  recognition  of  the  Spirit. 
Whatever  abuses,  harshness  of  judgment,  and  at- 
tempted tyranny  of  thought  there  may  have  been 
in  those    days  received  little  countenance  from  the 


LIFE  AND  FORM.  3 1 

great  Protector.  After  the  battle  of  Dunbar  the  de- 
feated expected  severe  treatment  at  his  hands,  but 
he  told  them  to  worship  God  as  they  pleased,  only 
not  to  attempt  to  impose  their  forms  on  those  who 
differed  from  them.  "The  new  ideal  of  religion 
proclaimed  the  rights  of  the  individual  conscience  ; 
the  new  idea  of  the  Church,  its  duties  and  obliga- 
tions. The  main  matter  was  no  longer  uniformity, 
but  reality — not  organisation  of  religious  forms, 
but  the  conversion  of  the  soul  and  the  regulation 
of  life  by  truths  directly  believed  and  completely 
obeyed.  And  the  significant  matter  is  that,  save 
on  this  ground,  toleration  can  never  be,  and  has 
never  been,  logically  claimed  and  defended  by  a  man 
believing  religion  to  be  true.  .  .  The  Independent 
idea  is  the  only  sure  basis  for  a  theory  of  toleration, 
and  in  practice  its  only  complete  realisation."* 

There  are  many  prophets  in  the  modern  Church, 
and  the  gift  of  prophesying  seems  to  exercise  itself 
chiefly  in  attempting  to  describe  the  Church  of  the 
future.  These  prophets  speak  in  many  tongues, 
words  which  at  times  are  strangely  contradictory. 
There  will,  no  doubt,  be  a  Church  of  the  future. 
Some  time  the  City  of  God  will  descend  out  of 
heaven  and  fill  the  earth.  Nay  I  that  city  is  al- 
ready here,  having  descended  when  the  Master 
came,  and  it  is  growing  before  our  eyes,  although 
they  are  so  holdcn  that  it   is   not   clearly  discerned. 

*Faiib.urn,  "Jubilee  Lectures,"  pp.  64-5. 


32  THE  PILGRIM  IjV  OLD  ENGLAND. 

What  its  glory  will  be  no  man  can  foretell. 
Enough  for  us  to  know  that  the  Church  of  the  fu- 
ture will  be  not  only  a  Church  but  a  State  in  the 
spirit.  Gradually  the  life  of  the  Divine  Spirit  is  be- 
coming the  life  of  humanity.  At  last  the  spiritual 
commonwealth  and  the  spiritual  church  will  be  one. 
In  the  meantime,  with  nothing  of  sectarian  ri- 
valry ;  in  no  confidence  that  our  puny  faculties  can 
discern  and  hold  all  truth  ;  with  perfect  toleration 
for  those  who,  under  the  guidance  of  the  one  Spirit, 
are  led  by  different  ways,  we,  children  of  the  Pil- 
grims, should  be  lo}'al  to  the  principles  which  have 
come  to  us,  which  our  fathers  loved,  for  which 
they  died,  and  which  have  played  so  large  a  part  in 
the  development  of  Christian  history.  We  can  best 
help  to  rear  the  Church  of  the  future  by  giving  full 
and  consistent  expression  to  those  truths  which 
most  commend  themselves  to  us,  which  are  known 
as  "  Pilgrim  principles,"  which  have  received  the  Di- 
vine approval  in  many  ages  and  in  many  lands,  and 
which  in  the  future  as  in  the  past  will  help  very 
much  in  hastening  the  coming  of  that  Kingdom 
which  is  the  "  realisation  of  righteousness  in  the 
life  of  humanity."  ^' 

*  Mulford's  "  Republic  of  God,"  p.  i68. 


II. 

BEGINNING   AND   GROWTH. 


*'  Our  spiritual  forefathers  may  not  have  been  perfect  men,  but  my 
impression  is  that,  take  them  for  all  in  all,  neither  the  world  nor  the 
church  has  seen  such  men  elsewhere  in  modern  times." 

— Dr.  Robert  Vaughan. 

"  Tlieir  blood  was  shed 
In  confirmation  of  the  noblest  claim — 
Our  claim  to  feed  upon  immortal  truth, 
To  walk  with  God,  to  be  divinely  free 
To  soar  and  to  anticipate  the  skies. 
Yet  few  remember  them.     They  lived  unknown 
Till  persecution  dragged  them  into  fame 
And  chased  them  up  to  heaven.     Their  ashes  flew — 
No  marble  tells  us  whither.     With  their  name 
No  bard  embalms  and  sanctifies  his  song; 
And  history,  so  warm  on  meaner  themes, 
Is  cold  on  this." 

— COWPER. 

"  So  no  man  is  prepared  to  do  justice  to  that  intense  religious 
element  which  gave  its  main  peculiarity  to  the  character  of  the  Puri- 
tans, who  has  not  faithfully  studied  those  emotive  forces  which  the 
peculiar  conditions  of  that  English  life  into  which  they  were  born 
had  generated  and  brought  to  bear  upon  them." 

— Dr.  Henry  M.  Dexter. 


II. 

BEGINNING  AND  GROWTH. 

On  the  thirteenth  day  of  July,  1891,  there  assem- 
bled in  London,  in  the  Memorial  Hall,  Farringdon 
Street,  adjoining  Fleet  Street,  and  near  F'leet 
"  Ditch  " — now  completely  covered  over — the  first 
International  Council  of  Congregational  Churches. 
Memorial  Hall  is  on  the  site  of  the  old  Fleet  Prison, 
in  which  many  martyrs  of  liberty  were  confined,  and 
from  which  they  were  led  to  the  flames  of  Smith- 
field.  Not  far  distant  is  all  that  remains  of  the 
Bridewell  Palace  and  Prison — which  may  be  called 
the  birthplace  of  English  Independency.  Hardly 
more  than  a  stone's  throw  from  it  is  the  City  Tem- 
ple, whose  first  pastor  was  Thomas  Goodwin,  near 
to  which  "  Richard  Baxter  ascended  to  the  Saint's 
Everlasting  Rest,"'^  and  "John  Bunyan  fell  asleep 
in  Jesus." 

The  Council  convened  in  the  large  hall.  At  the 
back  of  the   platform    was  a  stained-glass  window 

*  Joseph  Parker,  D.D.,  Address  International  Council,  London, 
1S91. 


36  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

representing  the  Sailing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers. 
Here  and  there,  their  folds  peacefully  intertwined, 
were  draped  the  flags  of  many  nations.  On  the 
platform  and  in  the  assembly  were  delegates  from 
every  part  of  the  world, — representatives  from  the 
ancient  churches  of  England,  from  the  American 
churches,  from  Canada  and  South  Africa,  Australia 
and  Japan,  Madagascar  and  Tasmania,  New  Guinea 
and  India, — all  nations  and  all  races  were  there. 
That  first  International  Council  represented  a  world- 
wide and  constantly  developing  spiritual  power. 

The  contrasts  of  the  occasion  were  many  and 
striking.  One  hundred  and  one  Pilgrims  left  the 
Old  World  for  New  England  in  the  Mayfioivcr, 
suffering  for  many  weeks  at  sea  the  cold  and  storms 
of  winter,  seeking  a  place  in  which  they  could  wor- 
ship God  according  to  their  consciences.  One  hun- 
dred and  one  of  their  descendants  from  the  richest 
land  under  the  stars  made  the  reverse  journey  in  a 
single  week,  on  a  summer  sea,  in  comfort  and  luxury. 
There  were  delegates  from  lands  undiscovered  when 
the  Pilgrim  Fathers  sailed  for  New  England.  Black 
men,  red  men,  day-labourers,  and  millionaires,  sat 
side  by  side.  Ten  days  were  passed  in  mutual 
fellowship  and  conference  concerning  the  affairs  of 
the  Kingdom  ;  then  the  Council  adjourned,  and  its 
''influence,  still  as  the  movement  of  light,  went  forth 
among  the  churches.  The  contrast  between  those 
meetings,  in    such   an    environment,   and   the  time 


JiEGLVXING  AND  GROWTH.  37 

when  in  the  same  districts  the  fires  were  burning  at 
Smithfield,  and  the  Bridewell  and  Clink  were  crowded 
with  those  who  were  charged  with  no  crime  save 
loyalty  to  conscience  and  fidelity  to  Christ,  was 
inspiring  and  encouraging.  That  International  Coun- 
cil is  our  starting-point  in  an  attempt  to  sketch  the 
beginning  and  growth  of  modern  Congregational- 
ism. 

The  churches  which  to-day  have  missions  in  every 
land,  have  come  to  their  present  position  of  great- 
ness and  service  by  a  road  stained  with  tears  and 
blood,  lighted  by  martyr  fires,  and  along  which  have 
echoed  shrieks  of  anguish,  mingled  with  thanks- 
giving and  praise.  Beginning  from  that  Council  we 
might  go  backward,  step  by  step,  along  the  way 
which  has  been  traversed  by  the  churches  of  our 
order  from  the  days  of  the  Apostles.  Or  Ave  may 
avail  ourselves  of  the  study  of  others,  and  starting 
from  the  childhood  of  the  Christian  Church,  advance 
step  by  step  to  the  present  day.  For  our  purpose 
the  second  course  is  preferable. 

Dr.  Bacon,  in  his  "  Genesis  of  the  New  England 
Churches,"*  says:  "In  the  beginning  Christianity 
was  simply  Gospel."  When  Christ  came  He  found 
a  church — the  Jewish — already  existing.  He  said 
very  little  about  doing  away  with  the  old  church  or 
founding  a  new  one.  He  promised  to  be  with  the 
two  or  three  gathered  in  His  name,  and  that  is  His 

*  Page  17. 


38  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

most  distinctive  teaching  on  the  subject.  The 
passage  in  Matthew  about  dealing  with  offences,  and 
the  reference  to  St.  Peter,  are  all  that  the  four  gos- 
pels contain  on  this  point.  Only  twice  is  the  word 
"church  "used  by  the  evangelists.  There  are  fre- 
quent references  to  the  founding  of  a  kingdom,  but 
few  to  the  founding  of  a  church.  The  Kingdom  of 
God  is  the  perfect  state  which  our  Lord  in  His  own 
person  brought  to  the  earth;  the  Church  the  means 
by  which  that  Kingdom  is  advanced.  The  Master 
gathered  about  Him  a  few  ignorant  men,  who  were 
yet  capable  of  responding  to  spiritual  attractions, 
impressed  them  with  His  own  personality,  trained 
them  by  His  example  and  conversation,  left  them, 
so  far  as  we  know,  no  written  word— but  many  facts 
and  truths  well  known,  to  which  they  were  to  testify, 
— disappointed  all  their  earthly  hopes,  and  then, 
having  promised  them  in  clear  language  the  leader- 
ship of  the  "  Spirit  of  Truth,"  He  was  crucified. 
That  was  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  Church. 
In  the  modern  sense  of  an  organised  society,  with 
doctrinal  tests  of  membership  and  elaborate  rules 
and  ritual,  there  was  no  church  :  there  was  a  com- 
pany of  people — believers,  disciples,  brethren,  apos- 
tles— devoted  to  the  Teacher.  There  seems  to  have 
been  some  organisation  among  the  Twelve,  for  Judas 
was  the  treasurer.  Beyond  that  there  are  no  signs 
of  a  society  ;  only  of  a  brotherhood.  There  were  no 
formal   articles  of    faith,  no  covenant,   no  rules   of 


BEGINNING  AND  GROWTH.  39 

order,  but  there  were  strong  beliefs,  bonds  of  love, 
the  words  of  Jesus,  and  the  mighty  attraction  of  the 
person  of  Christ.  Because  they  must  needs  live 
they  appointed  one  of  their  number  to  manage 
their  finances,  as  a  company  of  students  often  select 
a  fellow-student  as  steward  of  the  commons. 

Directly  after  our  Lord  went  away  the  idea  behind 
the  word  "  church  "  became  more  distinct.  At  first  it 
referred  to  the  company  of  believers  who  were  united 
to  Him  by  faith  and  love,  and  by  love  to  one  another. 
As  years  passed  converts  were  made  in  various  local- 
ities. One  characteristic  of  those  early  Christians 
is  conspicuous.  All  who  lived  in  one  city  met 
together  and  had  all  things  in  common.  Even  then 
the  Early  Christians  were  a  spiritual  democracy. 
They  had  officers,  but  there  is  no  recorded  command 
as  to  how  those  officers  should  be  appointed.  They 
recognised  the  duty  of  mutual  helpfulness,  and  they 
met  together  for  the  purpose  of  being  instructed  in 
the  things  of  Christ.  The  Apostles  could  not  be 
with  them  all  the  time,  therefore  teachers  were  ap- 
pointed. But  the  teachers  could  not  also  manage  the 
finances,  therefore  deacons  were  appointed.  Thus 
gradually  and  naturally  the  new  life  began  to  assume 
appropriate,  simple,  efficient,  social  form.  Dr.  John 
Brown  of  Bedford  says^^  :  "The  early  churches  were 
simply    brotherhoods    of   believers    exercising    self- 

*"  Historic  Christian  People,"  p.  120.     Address  before  Congrega- 
tional Union  of  England  and  Wales  Oct.,  iSgi. 


40  THE  PILGRIM  IX  OLD  EXGLAND. 

government  under  the  over-lordship  of  Christ,  the 
laws  of  Christ  being  administered  by  ofificers  chosen 
by  themselves."  In  the  early  Christian  document 
known  as  "  The  Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles" 
the  brethren  are  thus  charged  :  "  Appoint  for  your- 
selves bishops  and  deacons  worthy  of  the  Lord,  men 
who  are  meek  and  not  lovers  of  money,  and  true  and 
approved." 

Two  things  are  evident  concerning  these  early 
churches.  First,  the  officers  were  nominated  or 
"  appointed  "  by  the  Apostles,  but  elected  by  the 
people  ;  and,  second,  there  was  but  one  church  in 
one  city.  In  this  statement  there  is  reference  only 
to  organisation, — there  were  often  many  places  of 
meeting,  while  there  was  but  one  fund  for  the  com- 
mon use,  and  one  Bishop  for  the  common  administra- 
tion. "  The  organised  church  in  the  primitive  age 
of  Christianity  was  always  a  local  institution — never 

national,  never  provincial  or  diocesan Each 

local  church  was  complete  in  itself,  and  was  held 
responsible  to  Christ  for  its  own  character,  and  the 
character  of  those  whom  it  retained  in  its  fellow- 
ship." -  In  that  age  no  one  church  had  authority 
over  another.  When  the  church  in  Antioch  ap- 
pealed to  that  at  Jerusalem  it  was  not  in  recognition 
of  a  right  to  dictate,  but  as  seeking  more  reliable 
knowledge.  It  was  a  request  for  information.  Yet 
the  churches  in  many  lands  and  many  cities  had  a 

*"  Genesis  of  the  New  England  Churches,"  Bacon,  p.  25.         


BEGJXX/XG  AA'Z)  GROWTH.  4 1 

bond  of  unity,  and  that  bond  was  neither  creedal, 
liturgical,  nor  governmental,  but  the  common  life  of 
love  and  service  which  followed  acceptance  of  Christ 
as  Master  and  Lord.  Moreover,  for  membership  in 
those  churches  nothing  was  required  except  evidence 
of  genuine  repentance,  a  confession  of  faith  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  Master,  and  willingness  to 
receive  the  rite  of  baptism.  \\\  the  Apostolic  period 
there  were  no  complicated  organisations,  no  formu- 
lated creeds,  no  express  covenants,  no  superior  offi- 
cers—save the  Apostles.  The  church  in  each  place 
was  a  brotherhood  of  believers.  The  simple  life  of 
the  early  Christian  communities  has  undergone 
startling  changes.  Such  changes  were  to  be  ex- 
pected. That  early  fellowship  of  believers  of  which 
hints  are  given  in  the  "  five  hundred  brethren,"  and 
the  "one  hundred  and  twenty"  who  were  com- 
manded to  "tarry  at  Jerusalem,"  was  in  no  sense  an 
organised  ecclesiastical  body.  It  was  simply  the 
brotherhood  of  those  who  believed  in  Jesus,  and 
from  Him  had  received  the  Divine  life.  Our  Mas- 
ter  left  His  followers  free  men,  evidently  expecting 
that  those  who  had  the  mind  of  Christ  would  adjust 
themselves  to  varying  conditions  in  all  lands  and 
times. 

The  life  of  the  Divine  Spirit  never  has  had  uniform 
manifestation  ;  that  always  has  been  as  diversified 
as  the  men  through  whom  it  w^orks.  The  process 
by  which  the  simplicity  of  the  early  Church  passed 


4^  THE  riLGRlM  LV  OLD  EATGLAiYD. 

into  the  complexity  of  later  ages  may  be  quickly 
sketched.  As  the  number  of  Christians  increased, 
and  it  became  impossible  for  all  to  worship  in  one 
assembly,  additional  places  of  worship  were  added. 
In  turn  there  had  to  be  readjustment  of  the  relations 
of  the  worshippers.  In  each  church  there  was  also  a 
necessity  for  more  organisation,  and,  consequently, 
(as  the  "  love  of  power  "  was  not  wholly  eradicated) 
a  tendency  was  manifested  on  the  part  of  some  to 
be  "  lords  over  God's  heritage."  When  the  Apostles 
died  it  was  natural  that  the  persons  who  had  seen 
them  and  known  them  best  should  be  consulted  by 
the  various  churches  concerning  disputed  questions 
of  order  and  doctrine.  Moreover,  there  is  always  a 
subordination  of  the  country  to  the  city.  Thus  the 
churches  in  small  towns  and  outlying  districts  be- 
came subordinate  to  those  in  the  cities,  and  the 
churches  in  the  smaller  cities,  where  the  Apostles 
had  been  but  a  little  time  or  to  which  they  had 
written  no  letters,  naturally  turned  to  those  in  the 
larger  cities.  Thus  gradations  of  rank  and  author- 
ity appeared.  There  was  a  whole  century  at  least 
when  the  Bishop  of  Rome  was  no  more  than  the 
ordinary  pastor  of  a  local  church,  and  when  the 
diocesan  bishops  had  no  existence  at  all.  The  out- 
lying church  districts  coming  under  the  influence  of 
the  larger  cities  gradually  developed  into  what  is 
now  known  as  the  Diocese,  and  Rome  being  the 
largest  of  all  the  cities  and  the  centre  of  imperial 


nF.GTNNrXG  AXD  GNOirr//.  43 

power,  the  church  at  Rome  became,  by  the  process 
of  evolution,  the  Imperial  Church. 

When  it  was  proclaimed  to  be  the  religion  of  the 
Empire,  Christianity  as  an  institution  was  appro- 
priated by  the  Empire,  and  thus  began  the  long 
contest  between  Church  and  State,  between  spirit 
and  form,  which  continued  until  the  time  of  Luther, 
and  indeed  has  continued  until  this  da}^  While 
Rome  remained  the  capital  of  the  Empire  the  church 
of  Rome  without  dispute  was  the  chief  church.  But 
the  secular  power  invaded  and  transformed  the  Chris- 
tian community.  The  first  churches  were  select 
and  spiritual  ;  later  the}- became  comprehensive  and 
secular. 

"The  increase  of  the  external  prosperity  of  the 
church  and  the  decline  of  its  spiritual  life  went  on 
together.  There  were  now  [in  time  of  Constan- 
tine]  some  eighteen  hundred  Christian  Bishops,  of 
whom  about  eight  hundred  were  seated  in  the 
Latin  province  of  the  Empire.  These  rulers  had 
not  yet  altogether  emancipated  themselves  from  the 
necessity  of  popular  election,  but  such  election  was 
in  process  of  extinction,  and  had  already  very  much 
changed  its  character.  The  elections  to  the  higher 
offices  of  the  church — now  that  the}-  appealed  to 
the  love  of  lucre  and  the  aspirations  of  ambition — 
were  more  real,  but  were  entirely  governed  b}' 
worldly  considerations.  Not  only  the  inferior  clergy, 
but  senators,  nobles,  men  of  property,  the  common 


44  '^JIE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAXD. 

people,  joined  in  voting  the  ecclesiastical  dignity  to 
some  candidate,  who  usually  desired  it  for  the  rank 
it  gave  him  in  the  State,  rather  than  from  any  relig- 
ious motives.  Often  these  elections  were  as  riotous 
as  the  most  angry  political  contests,  and  bribery  and 
intimidation  were  called  in  to  assist  in  the  choice 
of  the  true  successor  of  the  Apostles."*  At  first  the 
election  of  Bishops  was  in  the  hands  of  the  people ; 
then  it  was  transferred  to  the  clergy;  then  to  the  Pope; 
and  then,  as  the  wealth  and  power  of  the  Church 
increased,  the  controversy  began  as  to  the  right  of 
appointment  to  the  chief  ofifices  in  the  Church. 

When  the  seat  of  the  Empire  was  changed  from 
Rome  to  Constantinople,  the  supremacy  of  the 
Roman  church  was  threatened  and  it  became  neces- 
sary to  find  some  other  basis  on  which  to  rest  its 
claim  to  authority.  Then  the  primacy  of  Peter  was 
put  forward.  He  was  asserted  to  have  preached, 
and  suffered  martyrdom,  in  that  city,  and  also  to 
have  founded  its  church ;  therefore,  as  our  Lord 
had  said  that  He  would  found  His  Church  on  Peter, 
it  was  maintained  that  the  Roman  should  be  the 
supreme  and  sovereign  church.  But  the  Emperors 
who  had  transferred  the  capital  to  the  Bosphorus 
would  not  yield  the  primacy,  and  thus  commenced 
the  schism  between  the  Eastern  and  the  Western 
churches,  or  the  Greek  and  Roman,  which  continues 
to  this  day. 

*  Parkinson's  "  State  Churches,"  \i.  6S. 


BEGLWVIXG  AXD  GROWTIf.  45 

Long  before  this  absorption  of  the  Church  by  the 
State,  episcopal  authority  had  taken  the  place  of 
the  simplicity  of  the  early  Church.  Its  ofificers  were 
no  longer  appointed  by  the  people.  Dependence 
on  liturgies  and  creeds  had  supplanted  dependence 
on  the  Spirit.  At  first  the  Church  was  composed  of 
those  who  accepted  Jesus  Christ  as  Master,  and  held 
their  hearts  open  to  the  leadership  of  the  Spirit  of 
Truth.  All  Christians  who  were  resident  in  one 
place  came  together  as  naturally  as  drops  of  water. 
In  proportion  as  they  were  near  to  the  Master  there 
was  among  them  unity  of  spirit  and  life.  "  Where 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  there  is  liberty."  It  is 
often  said  that  among  rude  and  uncultured  people 
liberty  is  impossible.  In  the  childhood  of  the 
Church  liberty  was  universal.  Even  in  the  second 
century  the  authority  of  the  Church  under  Christ 
rested  with  the  people.  Tertullian  is  explicit  on 
this  point  :  "  That  which  has  constituted  the  differ- 
ence between  the  governing  body  and  the  ordinary 
members  is  the  authority  of  the  Church."  And  in 
the  same  chapter  he  adds  :  "  Where  three  Chris- 
tians are,  though  they  be  laymen,  there  is  the 
church." 

Dr.  John  Brown  says  :  "  These  early  churches 
were  very  much  like  our  own,  made  up  of  men  and 
women  of  varied  position,  culture  and  enlightenment. 
Many  of  them  were  in  humble  life  ;  some  were  even 
slaves  ;  but  all  alike  were  held  to  be  entitled  to  a 


46  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

voice  in  Church  affairs,  for,  possessing  a  Divine 
life  in  their  souls  they  were  held  to  be  the  subjects 
of  Divhie  enlightenment  on  spiritual  things.  .  .  By 
and  by  changes  came.  The  simple  Church  life  of  the 
earlier  time  suffered  sorrowful  eclipse  as  transition 
from  self-government  to  government  by  a  hierarchy 
was  slowly  but  surely  made.  The  encroachments 
upon  the  liberties  of  the  Christian  commonalty  were 
like  those  of  a  glacier  moving  inch  by  inch  down 
the  slopes  of  a  Swiss  valley.  .  .  .  First,  as  contro, 
versies  arose  which  threatened  to  endanger  the  faith- 
creeds  were  formulised.  Then  jealousy  for  the  for- 
mulised  creed  began  to  supersede  watchfulness  over 
the  spiritual  life,  which  had  once  been  the  bond  of 
brotherhood.  If  a  man  held  the  creed  he  was  deemed 
eligible  for  the  Church  whether  he  had  the  life  or 
not.  .  .  .  One  step  prepared  the  way  for  another. 
It  was  next  contended  that  if  the  Church  had  the 
truth  she  also  had  the  Spirit,  which  those  outside 
had  not.  Whoever  therefore  would  be  secure  of  sal- 
vation must  come  into  the  Church.  And  men  did 
come  in,  not  because  they  had  found  salvation  but 
in  order  that  they  might  get  it.  The  natural  result 
followed.  Unspiritual,  unrenewed  men  came  into 
the  fellowship,  and  holiness  ceased  to  be  the  distinc- 
tive note  of  the  brotherhood.  .  .  Then,  again,  when 
the  unity  of  the  Church  had  come  to  mean  unity  of 
faith  it  was  contended  that  the  bishops  were  the 
appointed  guardians  of  the  faith,  and  that  with  the 


BEGINXING  AND  GROWTH.  47 

faith  of  the  Apostles  they  had  received  the  power 
and  authority  of  the  Apostles,  By  the  time  the 
second  half  of  the  third  century  was  reached  it  was 
no  longer  sufficient  to  hold  the  Catholic  faith  in 
order  to  enter  the  Church.  The  supremacy  of  the 
Bishops  must  also  be  recognised ;  they  must  be 
obeyed.  Thus  the  circle  was  now  complete  :  The 
doctrinal  faith  is  all-important.  You  cannot  have 
Christ  unless  you  have  that :  you  cannot  have  that 
unless  you  are  in  the  Church,  and  you  cannot  come 
into  the  Church  except  through  the  Bishop.  So  it 
came  about  that  the  Cliurch,  which  was  at  first  a 
community  of  saved  men,  became  an  institution  for 
saving  them,  and  the  condition  of  salvation,  was 
ecclesiastical  submission.  The  authority,  once  in  the 
hands  of  the  people,  thus  passed  over  to  the  Bishops; 
the  communion  table  was  turned  into  an  altar  to 
which  the  people  were  denied  access ;  the  chancel 
was  jealously  railed  off  from  the  church,  and  so  far 
as  the  fTovernment  of  the  Church  was  concerned  the 
Christian  commonalty  vanished  out  of  sight.'  * 

We  have  now  before  us  the  facts  concerning  the 
early  Church,  and  the  process  by  which  it  became 
complicated  and  corrupt.  The  Apostles  taught  that 
each  individual  may  open  his  heart  to  the  Divine 
Spirit ;  that  all  who  do  that  become  free  men  in 
Christ  Jesus  ;  that  the  Church  is  composed  of  those 

*"  Historic  Christian  People,"  pp.  12-14.     Address  before  Con- 
gregational Union  of  England  and  Wales,  1S91. 


48  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

who  are  thus  made  free  by  the  indweHing  Spirit. 
The  simple  teaching  of  Apostolic  times  disappeared. 
The  Church  converted  the  Empire,  and  the  Empire, 
in  turn,  conquered  the  Church — but  could  not  kill 
the  individual  spiritual  life.  The  new  ecclesiasti- 
cal system  which  resulted  from  the  supremacy  of 
the  State  over  the  Church,  was  a  compound  of 
Christian  words,  Pagan  institutions  and  practices, 
and  secular  associations,  methods  and  aims.  Here 
and  there  individuals  were  sensitive  to  the  Spirit, 
but  in  a  gigantic  mechanism  there  is  no  room  for 
freedom  and  the  assertion  of  individual  rights. 
When  strong  souls  attempted  to  speak  the  word 
which  the  Spirit  had  spoken  to  them,  the  wheels  of 
the  machine  ground  them  to  powder ;  but  among 
the  commonalty  were  many  too  insignificant  to  be 
noticed,  and  among  the  nobility  some  not  too  for- 
ward in  speaking  their  thoughts,  in  whom  the  Spirit 
worked  until  the  Reformation  gave  them  freedom 
of  utterance.  But  from  Constantine  to  Luther  it 
was  1200  years. 

The  Reformation  was  a  protest  against  the  asser- 
tion of  spiritual  authority  by  Rome  ;  against  the 
sacerdotalism  which  had  little  if  any  place  for  the 
Scriptures.  Ecclesiastical  principles,  as  such,  did  not 
come  to  the  front.  The  Protestant  Reformation 
was  spiritual  rather  than  ecclesiastical.  The  Church 
having  been  transformed  into  a  secular  organisation 
could  be  restored  only  by  the  co-operation  of  secular 


BEG/X.y/XG  AND  GROWTH.  49 

powers.  The  idea  of  absolute  democracy  in  relig- 
ion would  have  meant  the  same  in  the  State,  and 
that  would  not  have  been  tolerated  by  the  allies  of 
Lulhcr.  It  would  have  undermined  the  authority 
of  those  on  whom  he  depended  for  success,  and 
there  is  little  evidence  that  he  had  thought  much 
about  questions  of  Church  polity.  He  resisted  the 
Pope  as  a  representative  of  error  rather  than  be- 
cause the  order  and  usage  of  the  Church  were  un- 
spiritual. 

Yet,  even  before  Luther,  there  was  at  least  one 
prophet  who  spoke  with  no  uncertain  sound  con- 
cerning the  rights  of  the  people  under  the  guid- 
ance of  the  Spirit  to  think  and  act  for  themselves. 
In  1327  John  Marsiglio,  of  Padua,  published  a  book 
entitled  "  The  Defender  of  Peace,"  in  which  he  as- 
serted the  principles  of  modern  religious  liberty. 
"The  regulator  of  the  community  he  held  to  be 
the  judicial  or  governing  class,  whose  province  it 
is  to  enforce  the  laws,  but  the  legislator,  or  law- 
maker, is,  he  says,  *  the  people  or  communit}'  of 
the  citizens,  or  the  majority  of  them,  determining 
by  their  choice  or  will,  expressed  by  word  in  a  gen- 
eral assembly,  as  to  what  should  be  done  or  should 
not  be  done  regarding  man's  civil  acts.'  "  *  He  main- 
tained that  the  true  Church  is  the  community  of  all 
who   believe   in    Christ,   for  all — priests    and    laity 

*"The  Historic  Christian  People,"  pp.  17,  iS,  John  Brown, 
Address  before  Congregational  Union  of  England  and  Wales,  1891. 


50  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

alike — are  churchmen,  because  Christ  redeemed 
them  with  His  blood.  If  a  man  is  to  be  separated 
from  the  Church  he  ought  first  to  be  judged,  not  by 
the  priest  but  by  the  whole  body  of  the  faithful  or 
their  representatives.  "  '  How  is  it,'  he  asks,  '  that 
some  unscrupulous  flatterers  dare  affirm  that  every 
Bishop  has  received  from  Christ  a  plentitude  of 
power  even  over  his  own  clergy,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  laity?  The  Apostles  never  presumed  to  arro- 
gate to  themselves  any  such  authority.  They  who 
say  this  should  be  laughed  at.  They  should  not  be 
believed,  much  less  should  they  be  feared,  for  the 
Scriptures  plainly  tell  us  quite  the  contrary.  He 
is  the  successor  of  Peter  and  the  rest  of  the  Apos- 
tles who  comes  nearest  to  them  in  copying  their 
lives  and  their  holy  manners.'"  Marsiglio,  like 
John  the  Baptist,  was  a  forerunner ;  he  was  "  the 
voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness." 

After  him  came  John  Wycliffe,  Martin  Luther, 
John  Calvin,  and  the  leaders  of  the  new  day. 
Luther  asserted  the  right  of  private  judgment  and 
the  duty  of  loyalty  to  conscience ;  and  yet  the 
truths  which  he  proclaimed  were  not  applied  to  the 
Church  and  the  State  by  him,  but  by  Calvin.  Cal- 
vin organized  a  new  ecclesiastical  system,  and  Geneva 
became  the  centre  of  its  propaganda.  John  Knox, 
Thomas  Cartwright,  and  many  of  the  English 
thinkef^s,  after  being  associated  with  Calvin  at 
Geneva,  carried  back  to  England  and   Scotland  the 


FEGIAWING  AND  GROWTH.  5  I 

new  Presbyterian  order.  They  sought  to  free  the 
Church  both  from  the  supremacy  of  the  State  and 
from  the  Bishops,  and  at  the  same  time  to  compel 
the  State  to  protect  and  enforce  the  authority  of 
the  Church. 

As  the  result  of  his  contest  with  the  Pope,  Henry 
the  Eic:hth  became  the  head  of  the  Enijlish  Church. 
The  difference  between  that  Church  under  Ilenry 
and  the  same  Church  under  the  Pope  was  a  dif- 
ference only  in  the  name  of  the  organisation,  and  in 
that  of  its  head.  The  English  King  took  the  place 
of  the  Roman  Pontiff ;  otherwise  the  ecclesiastical 
system  remained  substantially  unchanged.  Ilenry 
contended  for  the  liberty  of  England  against  the 
arrogance  of  Rome ;  but  he  did  not  attempt  to 
secure  to  the  English  people  individual  independ- 
ence in  matters  of  religion.  The  work  begun 
under  Henry  suffered  eclipse  in  the  time  of  Mary, 
and  in  her  reign  the  Pope  became  again  the  head 
of  the  Church,  while  many  of  the  Calvinists  in 
the  English  Church  took  refuge  in  Germany,  and 
there  adopted  the  Genevan  Prayer-book.  But  when 
Elizabeth  ascended  the  throne  the  English  Church 
once  more,  and  finally,  severed  its  relations  with 
Rome. 

The  separation  of  the  Church  in  England  from 
the  Church  in  Rome  was  one  step  in  a  long  process. 
When  it  was  taken  new  parties  were  gradually 
formed.     Some   thought  that  the  Reformation  had 


53  THE  PILGRTM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

not  gone  far  enough.  The  bonds  had  been  cut  be- 
tween England  and  the  authority  of  Rome,  but  not 
between  England  and  what  was  regarded  as  the  idola- 
try of  Rome.  The  union  of  Church  and  State  was 
not  attacked,  but  various  rites  and  usages  of  the 
Church  sanctioned  by  the  State  were  openly  con- 
demned. Thus  began  what  is  known  as  the  Puritan 
Reformation.  The  otherwise  splendid  era  of  Queen 
Elizabeth — the  most  glorious  in  the  history  of 
Great  Britain  except  the  Victorian — is  stained  by 
terrible  cruelty  against  those  who  refused  to  con- 
form to  the  rules  and  ceremonies  of  the  English 
Church.  In  1558  Elizabeth  ascended  the  throne, 
and  the  first  act  of  Parliament  in  her  reign  was  the 
Act  of  Supremacy,  by  which  her  headship  of  the 
Church  was  established.  The  second  act  of  her 
reign  was  the  Act  of  Uniformity,  by  which  it  was 
made  sedition  to  question  the  Queen's  spiritual  su- 
premacy. It  was  afterward  made  felony.  Non- 
conformity was  absolutely  prohibited  to  Romanists 
and  to  Protestants  alike.  The  Calvinistic  refugees 
who  returned  from  Germany  found  Elizabeth  as 
"  bloody  "  as  Mary.  Romanism  was  superseded  by 
an  equally  persecuting  Protestantism.  The  only  al- 
leviation in  the  tyranny  was  that  the  State  resorted 
to  hanging  the  victims  of  ecclesiasticism  instead  of 
burning  them.  The  Thirty-nine  Articles  of  Relig- 
ion were  agreed  upon  by  Convocation  in  1562, 
adopted  by  Parliament   in    157 1,  and  the  Church  of 


BEGIXNIXG  AA'D  GROWTH.  53 

England  was  then,  by  these  and  other  Acts  of  Tar- 
h"ament,  completely  established  b)'  law,  and  contin- 
ues so  until  this  day. 

At  this  point  observe  the  difference  between  the 
Puritans  and  those  then  called  Separatists.  The 
Presbyterian-Puritans  objected  to  many  practices 
of  the  Church  as  to  discipline,  liturgy,  ceremonies, 
but  wished  to  simplif}'  the  Church  according  to  the 
"  pure  "  word  of  God,  not  to  separate  themselves 
from  it.  The  name  "  Separatist  "  primarily  distin- 
guished those  who  insisted  on  separation  from  the 
world  and  sin  rather  tlian  from  the  State  Church. 
Quickly  and  logically,  however,  they  insisted  on  the 
separation  of  Church  and  State,  because  they  had 
come  to  believe  that  the  union  of  the  two  was  worldly 
and  sinful.  This  distinction  must  be  kept  in  mind. 
All  the  Puritans  alike  contended  for  pure  doctrine 
and  holy  living;  all  were  united  in  their  opposition  to 
what  was  merely  formal  in  worshij) :  but  the  Sepa- 
ratists were  opposed  to  the  union  of  Church  and 
State,  while  the  Presbj'terians  believed  in  that  as 
loyally  as  did  the  friends  of  the  Establishment. 
At  that  time  the  Separatists  were  few.  They  were 
called  "  Brownists "  from  one  Robert  lirowne, 
'  nephew  of  Lord  Ikirleigh — an  eccentric,  excitable, 
but  able  man,  who  preached  and  published  the  doc- 
trine of  nonconformity  to  the  State.  He  was  him- 
self exiled  to  the  Continent,  but  afterward  return- 
ing, having  made  his  peace  with  the  Church  and  the 


54  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

State,  was  given  a"  living,"  and  died  in  the  service 
of  the  Church.  "The  difference  between  the  Puri- 
tans and  the  Separatists  was  wide,  fundamental 
and  irreconcilable.  It  involved  nothing  less  than 
the  whole  question  of  enforced  or  free  religion  ;  of 
religion  by  act  of  the  State,  or  freedom  of  conscience  ; 
of  religion  as  an  act  of  obedience  to  the  rulers, 
or  as  an  act  of  conscience  toward  God, — the  differ- 
ence, in  truth,  which  separated  and  still  separates 
the  State  Churches  from  the  Free  Churches  all  the 
world  over."  '^ 

In  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  the  Separatists  were 
comparatively  few  in  number,  and  were  easily  per- 
secuted and  driven  out  by  the  State.  There  were 
the  churches  at  Southwark,  in  London,  and  at 
Gainsborough  and  Scrooby ;  there  were  men  like 
Robinson,  Brewster  and  William  Bradford,  who  led 
the  people  in  their  assertion  of  individual  liberty, 
and  preached  the  doctrine  that  the  State  had  no 
right  to  interfere  in  matters  of  religion.  But  the 
Separatists  did  not  quickly  become  a  power  in 
English  life.  With  the  death  of  Elizabeth,  and  the 
beginning  of  the  reign  of  James  I.,  began  a  long 
controversy  between  the  King  and  the  Parliament 
— Parliament  fearing  that  James  would  attempt  to 
restore  the  supremacy  of  the  Roman  Church,  and 
gathering  into  its  party  all  the  Puritans  of  every  kind. 
That  controversy  was  continued  after  James  died 
*  "  The  Pilgrim  leathers,"  Scott,  p.  i8. 


BEGINNhXG  AXD  GROWTH.  55 

and  Charles  the  First  became  King.  The  conflict 
lasted  during  all  the  reign  of  that  most  unfortunate 
monarch,  who  seems  at  first  to  have  been  the  dupe 
of  his  favorite,  Buckingham,  and  always  the  slave  of 
his  own  passions  and  prejudices,  until,  after  eleven 
years  without  any  Parliament,  what  was  known  as 
the  "  Long  Parliament  "'  convened,  and  there  be- 
gan the  struggle  which  culminated  in  the  overthrow 
and  execution  of  Charles.  The  contest  in  the  time 
of  James  and  Charles  was  not  between  the  Sepa- 
ratists and  the  Established  order,  but  between  the 
Presbyterian  Puritans  and  Separatist  Puritans  on  the 
one  side,  and  the  Established  order  on  the  other 
side.  Knox  in  Scotland,  and  Cartwright  in  England, 
represented  the  ideals  of  Calvin  in  opposition  to  the 
ideals  of  the  Pope.  The  English  Church  retained 
what  were  thought  to  be  idolatrous  rites  and  cere- 
monies,  and  the  rule  of  the  Bishops.  The  Puritan 
Presbyterians  wished  to  do  away  with  everything 
which  reminded  them  of  the  supremacy  of  Rome. 
They  decided  to  make  a  new  church,  but  not  to 
separate  the  Church  from  the  State.  "  The  con- 
servatism which  loves  to  preserve  ancient  institu- 
tions was  arrayed  against  a  conservatism  which 
loves  to  preserve  spiritual  and  mental  beliefs."  •• 
Charles  stood  for  the  union  of  Church  and  State  on 
the  Episcopal  basis.  The  Puritans  wished  to  make 
the  whole  State  Presbyterian,  and  they  insisted  on 

*  "The  Puritan  Revolution,"  Gardner,  p.  132. 


56  THE  PILGRIM  IX  OLD  ENGLAND. 

uniformity  of  doctrinal  belief.  The  order  of  the 
controversy  was  concerning  (i)  papal  ceremonies  ; 
(2)  church  government ;  (3)  doctrinal  beliefs:  in  all, 
the  Scriptures  versus  the  Pope.  Charles  wished  an 
Episcopal  State  ;  the  Puritans  a  Calvinistic  State. 

There  were  many  other  elements  in  the  contro- 
versy, but  those  mentioned  were  the  most  promi- 
nent. When  discussion  and  dissension  grew  into 
war,  at  first  the  Royalists  were  victorious  ;  but,  grad- 
ually, that  hitherto  hardly  known  country  squire, 
Oliver  Cromwell,  destined  to  become  the  chief  fig- 
ure in  English  history,  came  into  prominence.  A 
rough  and  sturdy  member  of  Parliament,  captain  of 
a  troop  of  horse,  colonel,  lieutenant-general, — he  rap- 
idly attained  ascendency  by  force  of  character  and 
military  genius.  As  defeat  followed  defeat  Crom- 
well advanced  the  idea  that  the  Parliamentary  army 
was  beaten  because  it  was  composed  of  inferior  men. 
He  organised  a  cavalry  troop  of  Independents  or 
Separatists, — a  heterogeneous  collection  of  Ana- 
baptists, Congregationalists,  Mystics,  claiming  free- 
dom to  serve  God  as  taught  in  the  Scriptures  and 
by  the  Spirit.  The  troop  grew  to  be  the  invin- 
cible "Ironsides"  regiment,  whose  perfect  disci- 
pline permeated  the  whole  army.  Step  by  step 
Cromwell  became  the  leader  of  the  Parliamentary 
side.  It  could  not  do  without  him.  At  length 
Charles  was  overthrown,  and  Parliament  was  su- 
preme.   Cromwell  was  then  the  acknowledged  chief. 


PEG/XX/XG  AXD  GROll'T//.  57 

The  Parliamentary  forces  were  no  longer  a  mass  of 
unwieldy  ignorance,  but  a  gigantic  debating  society, 
a  company  of  independent,  self-confident,  bigoted, 
but  consecrated  and  splcndidl)'  disciplined  men — 
althougli  the  last  class  in  the  world  in  which  disci- 
pline would  be  supposed  to  be  possible.  In  matters 
of  religion,  they  stood  for  personal  godliness,  indi- 
vidual and  direct  fellowship  with  the  Spirit,  and,  very 
soon,  for  the  separation  of  Church  and  State,  the 
necessity  of  which  they  had  not  at  first  appreciated. 
The  Independent  members  of  the  Westminster 
Assembly  convened  by  Parliament  in  1643,  in  which 
the  Presbyterians  greatly  predominated,  never  de- 
clared in  favor  of  Separation.  They  did  not  at  first 
assert  universal  toleration.  Sir  Harry  Vane,  the 
republican  nobleman  of  the  Parliamentary  party,  a 
member  of  the  Assembly,  appears  to  have  led  the 
advance  toward  absolute  freedom.  He  said:  "The 
Province  of  the  Magistrate  is  this  world  and  man's 
body,  not  his  conscience  and  the  concerns  of  Eter- 
nity." Soon  the  public  weal  seemed  to  demand 
that  Parliament,  which  had  deteriorated  into  an 
assembly  of  busy-bodies,  should  cease  to  exist. 
It  was  put  to  an  end  by  the  Independents,  or 
Separatists,  under  the  lead  of  Cromwell.  The 
Revolution,  which  had  been  a  revolt  against  the 
unscriptural  and  popish  practices  of  the  Estab- 
lished Church,  and  which  was  led  by  those  who 
sought  to  have  a  Presbyterian  rather  than  an   Epis- 


58  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

copal  State,  was  ended  by  the  Independents,  and 
resulted  for  the  time  in  the  separation  of  Church 
and  State. 

We  are  thus  led  to  the  beginning  of  what  may 
be  called  Modern  Congregationalism  in  Great  Brit- 
ain. Among  a  few  obscure  pupils  of  the  Spirit,  faith 
in  liberty  and  individual  reponsibility  had  always  ex- 
isted. They  had  ever  insisted  on  the  importance  of 
the  guidance  of  the  Spirit  rather  than  on  obedience 
to  ecclesiastical  law.  Long  before  their  number  was 
large  enough  to  attract  much  attention  in  the  State, 
these  people  had  quietly  promulgated  their  teach- 
ings, and  been  getting  ready  for  their  mission  in  the 
A\"orld. 

The  Separatists  had  established  themselves  in 
numerous  little  companies  in  England  before  the 
time  of  Cromwell.  New  England  had  already  been 
colonized  at  Plymouth.  Let  us  return  to  the  move 
ment  which  brought  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  to  New 
England,  always  being  careful  to  draw  a  sharp  line 
of  distinction  between  the  Pilgrims  and  the  Puritans. 
The  Pilgrims  were  the  extreme  Puritans — they  fol- 
lowed the  principle  of  separation  to  its  logical  end. 

As  we  have  seen,  Queen  Elizabeth  ascended  to 
the  throne  in  1558.  The  first  act  in  this  drama  was 
the  assertion  by  Elizabeth  of  the  primacy  of  the 
Throne  in  the  Church  ;  the  second,  the  securing  of 
the  passage  of  the  Act  of  Uniformity,  requiring  all 
persons  to  worship  according  to  the  State  liturgies, 


BEGINNING  AND  GROWTH.  59 

and  in  the  parish  churches.  In  1571  the  work- 
was  completed  by  the  adoption  of  the  Articles  of 
Religion,  and  from  that  day,  the  Church  of  England 
being  completely  established  by  law,  we  may  con- 
veniently trace  that  Separation  which  with  more  or 
less  distinctness  can  be  found  through  all  subse- 
quent English  history,  and  never  more  so  than  at 
the  present  day.  The  contention  of  the  Independ- 
ents was  that  neither  the  Pope  nor  the  Kni^lish 
Queen  was  the  true  head  of  the  Church,  but  rather 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  himself ;  that  everything 
which  He  commanded  should  be  observed,  both  in 
doctrine  and  ritual,  and  everything  contrary  to  His 
word  should  be  refused  hospitality. 

The  first  evidence  I  find  of  the  organisation  of  the 
Separatists  is  in  1567,  when  a  company  of  Christians 
is  mentioned  as  meeting  at  Plummer  Hall,  in  Lau- 
rence Poultney  Lane,  London.  The  meetings,  held 
with  the  greatest  secrecy,  were  discovered  by  the 
alert  police  ;  one  hundred  persons  were  arrested,  and 
the  minister  and  the  deacon,  with  twenty-four  men 
and  seven  women,  were  committed  to  the  old  Bride- 
well Prison  in  Blackfriars.  This  has  been  called  the 
birthplace  of  the  Free  Churches.  Richard  F}t/.,  the 
minister,  and  Thomas  Rowland,  the  deacon,  died 
of  the  plague,  in  prison.  In  one  form  or  another, 
however,  the  meetings  were  continued. 

The  next  step  brings  us  to  Robert  Browne.  The 
Separatists     were     originally     called,    in     derision. 


6o  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

"  Brownists."  Browne  returned  to  the  State  Church, 
but  there  were  others  more  faithful  to  continue  the 
work.  Robert  Harrison  preached  the  doctrine 
of  Separation,  until  in  1580  it  was  made  treason  to 
worship  except  as  prescribed  by  law.  Then  he 
escaped  to  Middleburgh,  in  Zealand,  and  became 
pastor  of  a  church  of  refugees.  He  also  wrote  a 
treatise  on  True  Church  Government.  In  the 
country  districts  in  England  it  was  difficult  to 
execute  laws  against  illegal  gatherings  of  people  for 
worship,  and  the  cause  of  liberty  grew  in  secret 
places.  The  works  of  Browne  and  Harrison  were 
published  in  Holland  and  surreptitiously  circulated 
in  England.  In  1576  John  Copping  and  Elias 
Thacker  were  arrested  for  distributing  Separatist 
literature.  After  being  imprisoned  several  years 
they  were  brought  to  trial,  as  the  result  of  which 
Sir  Christopher  Wray,  Lord  Chief  Justice,  wrote 
that  "  they  were  condemned  to  die  and  were  to  be 
executed  immediately,  not  waiting  for  the  possibility 
of  a  reprieve."  ■"  They  were  interred  in  1583  at  Bury 
St.  Edmonds.  Their  crime  was  that,  while  they 
acknowledged  Elizabeth  as  Queen  in  civil  matters, 
they  looked  to  Jesus  as  sole  Master  in  the  spiritual 
realm. 

The  next  names  that  meet  us  are  those  of  John 
Greenwood  and  Henry  Barrowe.  Both  were  men 
of  fine  culture   and    lofty  character.     In  1586  they 

*  "  The   Pilgrim  Fathers,"  etc.,  Benjamin  Scott,  p.  23. 


FECrXXfNG  AND  GKOWTff.  6 1 

were  incarcerated  in  "  The  Clink,"  a  prison  in  South- 
wark.  Wliile  there  they  wrote  scraps  of  manuscript 
whicli  were  secretly  conveyed  outside,  sent  to  Dort 
in  Holland,  and  there  printed  and  circulated. 
Barrowe  and  Greenwood  were  executed  at  Tyburn 
in  1593.  While  they  continued  in  prison  (1586- 
1593)  little  companies  of  Separatists  met  in  the 
open  air,  and  in  private  houses  in  and  around 
London,  and  in  country  districts.  They  had  among 
them  twelve  or  fourteen  expounders  of  Scripture, 
and  conducted  their  services  in  the  simplest  manner. 
One  of  their  meeting-places  was  the  house  of  Roger 
Rippon  in  Southwark,  who  in  due  time  was  arrested 
and  imprisoned  with  many  others.  In  1589  there 
were  fifty-nine  persons  in  various  prisons,  and  these 
united  in  signing  a  petition  to  Lord  Burleigh,  setting 
forth  their  hardships  and  pleading  for  a  fair  hearing. 
Associated  with  them  was  one  Francis  Johnson, 
originally  a  clergyman,  who  had  been  converted  to 
Separatist  principles  by  reading  the  books  which  he 
had  intended  to  destroy,  and  who  still  later,  1592, 
Avas  associated  with  Greenwood  as  pastor  of  the 
Separatist  church  in  Southwark. 

From  the  darkness  of  those  terrible  times,  when 
independent  thought  was  a  penal  offence,  and  the 
worship  of  God  according  to  individual  conscience 
more  likcl)'  to  be  punished  than  robbery  or  murder, 
another  name  rising  into  light  is  that  of  John  Penry. 
He  was  educated  at  Oxford,  and  his  crime  was  the 


62  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

terrible  heresy  contained  in  these  words  :  *  "  That 
men  by  whomsoever  ordained — whatever  prcL^te  or 
bishop  or  presbyter's  hand  had  been  upon  them — 
who  did  not  do  the  work  of  an  evangehst,  but 
neglected  to  preach  God's  word  to  the  people,  were 
no  true  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ."  When  charged 
with  having  used  these  words  he  replied  :  "  If  it  is 
heresy  I  thank  God  that  He  has  taught  it  me  from 
His  Word."  Archbishop  Whitgift  answered  :  "  I  say 
it  is  heresy,  and  thou  shalt  recant  it."  "  Never,  God 
willing,  so  long  as  I  live,"  was  the  reply.  Nothing 
gives  a  clearer  idea  of  the  bigotry  of  those  otherwise 
bright  Elizabethan  days  than  the  fact  that  a  man  of 
a  spirit  so  exalted,  having  fled  to  Scotland,  should 
have  been  followed  thither  by  an  autograph  letter 
to  the  Scotch  King  from  Queen  Elizabeth,  insisting 
on  his  extradition.  He  was  charged  with  treason, 
and  in  1593  condemned  to  death.  The  character  of 
John  Penry  may  be  judged  by  his  answer  when 
pressed  to  save  his  life  by  recantation  :  f  "  If  my 
blood  were  an  ocean  sea,  and  every  drop  thereof 
were  a  life  unto  me,  I  would  give  them  all  for  the 
maintenance  of  this  my  confession.  Far  be  it  from 
me  that  either  the  saving  of  an  earthly  life,  the 
regard  which  I  ought  to  have  to  the  desolate  out- 
ward state  of  a  friendless  widow  and  four  poor 
fatherless  children,  or  any  other  thing,  should  enforce 

*  "  The  Pilgrim  Fathers,"  Benjamin  Scott,  p.  26. 
t  Penry's  "  Protestation,"  Land's  MSS. 


BEGINXING  AXD  GKOn'Tlf.  63 

nic,  by  dciiicil  of  God's  truth,  to  perjure  my  own 
soul."  John  Pcnry  was  the  hist  Separatist  to  suffer 
martyrdom  for  his  faith. 

Thus  in  merest  outline  we  have  followed  the  Sepa- 
ratists from  1567  to  1593.  The  idea  of  escaping 
persecution  in  some  foreign  land  originated  with 
Barrowc  and  Penry,  the  former  of  whom  left  a 
legacy  "  to  aid  the  persecuted  church  in  the  event  of 
their  emigration  "'  ;  while  Pcnry  in  his  last  letter 
urged  the  brethren  "  to  prepare  for  banishment  in 
an  unbroken  compan}-."  PVancis  Johnson,  already 
referred  to,  petitioned  Lord  Burleigh  in  1593  that 
the  members  of  the  church  in  Southwark  might  have 
leave  to  emigrate.  In  1597  Ave  find  the  Brownists, 
fcdsely  so-called,  petitioning  under  that  name  the 
Privy  Council  to  be  allowed  to  go  to  Canada. 
Permission  was  given,  but  restricted  to  the  island  of 
Ramea.  The  voyage  was  unsuccessful.  The  ships 
"  Chancewell  "  and  "  Hopewell,"  were  not  suffered 
to  land.  Some  of  the  voyagers  went  to  Newfound- 
land and  some  went  to  Holland.  P'rancis  Johnson 
became  pastor  of  those  pilgrims  in  Holland.  John 
Smyth,  a  fellow  of  Cambridge  and  pupil  of  Johnson, 
after  having  been  imprisoned  for  his  views,  was  lib- 
erated because  of  ill-health,  and  he,  retiring  to 
Gainsborough  in  Lincolnshire,  founded  there  in 
1602  a  Separatist  church,  and  became  its  pastor.  A 
second  or  branch  church  was  established  at  Scrooby 
in   Nottinghamshire,  on  the   borders  of   Yorkshire. 


64  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

The  meetings  were  held  in  the  Manor  House  occu- 
pied by  William  Brewster.  In  April,  1608,  the 
church  at  Scrooby  had  been  brought  into  some 
order,  and  in  that  month  Ihcwster  was  fined  ^20 
as  a  Brownist.  The  first  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Scrooby  was  the  venerable  Richard  Clyfton.  In 
1608  persecution  became  unbearable,  and  the  little 
congregation,  with  their  pastor  and  teacher,  deter- 
mined to  flee  to  Holland,  at  that  time  the  freest 
country  in  Europe.  Amid  dire  distress,  and  much 
cruelty  inflicted  by  the  officers  of  the  government, 
at  last  the  refugees  succeeded  in  reaching  Amster- 
dam, While  in  that  city  if  they  assembled  by  them- 
selves for  worship,  instead  of  meeting  with  their 
brethren  who  had  previously  reached  there,  they 
had  the  same  ofificers  as  at  Scrooby.  But  when  they 
determined  to  make  another  removal,  Clyfton,  being 
aged  and  infirm,  decided  to  remain  in  Amsterdam. 
After  halting  for  about  one  year  in  that  city  the 
Scrooby  people  moved  to  Leyden,  where  John  Rob- 
inson was  elected  successor  to  Richard  Clyfton  in 
the  pastoral  ofifice.  Brewster,  who  had  been  re- 
ceived into  the  church  at  Scrooby  under  the  ministry 
of  John  Robinson,  went  with  the  Pilgrims  to  Hol- 
land in  1608,  and  tlicn  came  with  them  to  the  New 
World  in  1 620. 

The  story  from  this  j^oint  is  well  known  to  all 
students  of  American  histor}-.  The  three  most 
conspicuous  leaders  among  the  Pilgrims  were  Robin- 


BEGnWV/A'G  AXD  GKOWTII.  65 

son,  Brewster  and  Bradford.  In  1620  that  little 
company  of  heroes,  possessing  the  spirit  of  Apostolic 
times,  crossed  the  North  Atlantic  and  landed  in  the 
New  World  to  face  the  terrors  of  a  New  England 
winter.  They  were  not  Presbyterian  Puritans. 
Those  remained  in  England,  having  no  conscien- 
tious scruples  against  a  State  Church,  although  quite 
as  much  as  the  Separatists  opposed  to  Episcopacy 
and  all  usages  and  ceremonies  that  seemed  to  have 
a  Roman  flavor.  In  less  than  a  decade,  however, 
the  oppression  became  so  severe  that  many  of  the 
Puritans  also  felt  compelled  to  leave  England,  and 
these  coming  to  the  New  World  founded  the 
Massachusetts  Colony. 

The  English  colonies  in  the  New  World  were  es- 
tablished in  the  following  order:  First,  the  colony 
in  Virginia  in  1607,  whose  settlers  were  exclusively 
Episcopalian.  Second,  the  colony  of  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers  at  Plymouth  in  1620,  who  were  Separatists. 
Third,  the  colony  at  Salem  and  Boston,  planted  by 
Puritans  in  1630,  that  party  having  in  turn  come 
under  the  persecuting  hands  of  Laud.  "  It  was 
these  Puritans  of  Boston  who  contended  for  Church- 
and-State  connection,  who  passed  the  act  against 
the  Quakers,  and  were  guilty  of  whippings,  brand- 
ings, tongue-piercing  and  selling  into  slavery;  which 
cruelties  have  been  ignorantly  charged  to  the 
account  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers."  "     Later,  the  Puri- 

*  "  Pilgrim  Fathers,"  Benjamin  Scott,  p.  40. 


66  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

tans  themselves  were  converted  to  Separatist  princi- 
ples ;  but  when  they  came  to  the  New  World  they 
believed  in  a  State  Church  and  tried  to  found  one 
here. 

The  Pilgrims,  compared  with  others  of  their 
times,  were  broad  and  liberal  men.  They  empha- 
sized individual  responsibility  and  the  right  of  pri- 
vate judgment  in  religion.  What  they  asked  for 
themselves  they  accorded  to  others.  The  Puritans, 
on  the  other  hand,  emphasised  the  authority  of  the 
State,  and  tried  to  coerce  individual  thinking  and 
acting  into  harmony  with  ecclesiastical  rules  or- 
dained by  a  secular  society.  Roger  Williams  was 
expelled,  not  by  the  Pilgrims  of  Plymouth,  but  by 
the  Puritans  of  Salem  and  Boston.  He  was  received 
by  the  Pilgrims,  and  by  them  given  generous  and 
Christian  hospitality. 

After  the  death  of  Cromwell  and  the  restoration 
of  the  monarchy,  Charles  the  Second  at  first  granted 
religious  toleration,  and  the  friends  of  liberty  had 
great  hopes  of  better  times  ;  but  soon  he  dropped 
his  mask  and  attempted  by  force  to  suppress  freedom 
of  thought  and  worship.  That,  however,  was  an 
impossible  task.  Liberty  had  been  won  by  the 
splendid  eloquence  of  Pym  and  Hampden,  and  the 
more  splendid  victories  of  Cromwell,  and  was  too 
firmly  established  to  be  overthrown.  The  Protector 
died  and  his  work  seemed  to  perish  ;  yet  it  did  not 
perish.     The   principles  for  which  he  fought  con- 


BEGINNING  AND  GROlVTIf.  67 

tinucd  to  spread.  Toleration,  even  wlicn  estab- 
lished by  law,  was  not  kindly  received  by  large 
classes  of  the  English  people.  The  Church  and  the 
State  seemed  to  belong  together.  Those  who  dis- 
sented were  regarded  with  suspicion  and  distrust : 
but  they  were  earnest,  strong,  consecrated  men, 
although  somewhat  fanatical.  They  had  in  them 
the  stuff  of  which  heroes  are  made. 

hVom  the  time  of  the  Commonwealth  there  has 
been  advance,  but  it  has  been  by  no  means  rapid  or 
constant.  At  one  time  the  "  old  Dissent "  was 
drowned  in  rationalism,  in  Arianism,  in  Unitarian- 
ism  ;  and  but  for  the  "  Evangelical  Revival  "  Con- 
gregationalism in  England  would  have  become  nearly 
extinct.  After  the  Restoration,  Independents  and 
Presbyterians  became  practically  one.  Under  the 
Toleration  Act  they  held  meetings  in  private  houses, 
and  by  the  year  1700  had  built  a  thousand  meet- 
ing-houses. Soon  after  this  began  the  decline. 
Those  who  acted  on  Presbyterian  principles  largely 
fell  away  into  Arianism  and  Unitarianism ;  but 
those  who  acted  on  Independent  principles  kept  to 
the  faith,  and  felt  the  impulse  of  the  new  life  kindled 
by  Wesley  and  Whitefield,  who  labored  under  the 
shadow  of  the  toleration  won  by  the  fathers  of 
independency.  The  "  Evangelical  Revival  "  com- 
menced about  1770,  and  the  life  and  strength  of 
Modern  Congregationalism  is  the  outcome  of  that 
Revival.     At  the  same  time  the  old  principles  have 


6S  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

been  more  fully  asserted,  and  religious  liberty 
gradually  extended,  in  opposition  to  the  dominant 
Church. 

But  liberty  has  been  won  at  great  cost.  The  Sep- 
aratists have  had  to  pay  dearly  for  their  faith.  Even 
to  this  day  their  ministers  are  unrecognised  by  the 
State,  save  as  the  Toleration  Act  protects  them  and 
their  meetings.  This  statement  applies  to  all  dis- 
senters. The  Nonconformists  combined  are  more 
numerous  than  the  adherents  of  the  Establishment ; 
and  yet  in  the  eye  of  the  State  there  is  but  one 
Church,  and  that  the  Anglican.  The  Congrega- 
tional was  the  first  Nonconformist  denomination  in 
Great  Britain.  A  httle  later,  and  a  part  of  the 
same  movement,  came  the  division  into  the  regular 
Congregationalists  and  Baptists.  The  growth  of 
the  Baptist  Church  finely  illustrates  the  power  of 
the  principle  at  the  basis  of  Congregationalism, — 
each  individual  must  think  for  himself.  Some  men 
finding  in  the  Bible,  as  they  believed,  that  our  Lord 
taught  immersion  as  the  true  and  only  mode  of 
baptism,  made  that  an  article  of  their  faith.  The 
Baptist  branch  of  the  Congregational  churches 
exists  because  men  have  thought  and  acted  for 
themselves.  In  England  the  branch  is  much  smaller 
than  the  trunk ;  in  the  United  States,  vastly  larger. 

Step  by  step,  however,  the  advance  toward  liberty 
has  been  made.  Parliament  makes  now  no  religious 
tests  of    membership.      The  Universities    are    now 


PEGTNXIXG  AA'D  GROWTH.  69 

open  to  Nonconformists.  The  descendants  of 
those  who  two  centuries  ago  were  cast  out  of  the 
EstabUshcd  Church,  fined  and  imprisoned,  and  who 
three  centuries  ago  worshipped  in  barns  and  caves 
and  were  executed  for  loyalty  to  conscience,  now 
form  great  and  honoured  branches  of  the.  Christian 
Church.  On  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  children  of 
the  same  martyrs  and  witnesses  founded  our  Repub- 
lic, and  started  influences  which  arc  transforniing  all 
the  nations.  The  upper-middle  class  in  England 
largely  belongs  to  the  Established  Church,  because 
of  its  "  respectability  "  and  prestige ;  the  lower,  to 
the  Congregationalists  and  Methodists.  Of  late  the 
Free  Churches  have  been  gathering  the  "  masses  " 
rather  than  the  "classes,"  seeking  to  influence  the 
democracy  of  the  future,  and  they  are  succeeding 
to  a  surprising  extent.  They  have  colleges  at  many 
important  centres.  Even  into  the  midst  of  Oxford 
itself  has  gone  Mansfield  College,  which  has  already 
proved  a  potent  force  in  the  life  of  that  great  uni- 
vcrsit}'.  Fytz  and  Rowland  were  the  first  martyrs; 
Barrowe  and  Greenwood  were  executed  as  criminals  ; 
Penry  was  torn  from  his  wife  and  children  and  bru- 
tally murdered  because  of  his  loyalty  to  truth  as  he 
understood  it  ; — but  in  these  days  the  successors  of 
Fytz  and  Rowland,  Barrowe,  Greenwood  and  Penry, 
sit  in  Parliament  and  have  prominent  places  on 
Royal  Commissions.  Their  churches  are  among  the 
most    splendid    in    the     Kingdom ;     they    ha\'e    an 


70  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

assured  position  ;  their  influence  has  permeated  all 
the  life  of  the  State,  and  the  missionaries  whom 
they  are  sending  are  leading  the  English  armies 
around  the  world,  and  going  where  the  English 
armies  do  not  go. 

Originally  the  Puritans  and  Pilgrims  in  England 
were  intensely  Calvinistic.  Knox  in  Scotland  and 
Cartwright  in  England  were  pupils  of  Calvin.  The 
Genevan  theology  inspired  the  Puritan  Revolution. 
The  "  Invlncibles"  of  Cromwell  were  theologians  of 
a  sc\-cre  type.  Gradually  the  theology  of  the 
Independent  churches  has  undergone  a  change,  and 
the  steps  in  the  process  are  not  difficult  to  trace. 
First,  there  was  the  influence  of  rationalism,  1720- 
1770;  second,  the  influence  of  Methodism,  1800- 
1856, — Wesley  exerting  a  more  positive  and  lasting 
influence  than  Whitefield  ;  and  third,  there  has  been 
the  effect  of  recent  activity  in  science,  criticism,  and 
the  study  of  sociology.  The  best  elements  of  the 
old  Calvinism  remain — such  as  loyalty  to  the  Scrip- 
tures, to  conscience,  to  the  living  God  and  the  person 
of  Jesus  Christ  :  but,  with  increase  of  knowledge  ; 
with  a  clearer  understanding  of  the  Word  of  God  , 
with  the  pressure  of  social  problems ;  and,  most  of  all; 
under  the  guidance  of  that  Spirit  which  the  Pilgrims 
have  always  honoured,  and  to  which  their  hearts 
have  always  been  open,  have  come  larger  concep- 
tions of  the  Fatherhood  of  God,  a  more  vital  realiza- 
tion   of    the    life    and    teachinc::    of    Christ — of    the 


liEGIiVA'IA'G  AXD  GUOH'T/f.  7 1 

redemptive  purpose  of  His  work,  of  His  spiritual 
presence  and  power, — a  truer  appreciation  of  the 
brotherhood  of  man,  and  a  deeper  conviction  of  the 
duties  and  responsibilities  necessitated  by  clearer 
views  of  these  regulative  facts.  Congregationalism 
in  England  to-day  is  not  Calvinistic,  but  it  was 
never  more  distinctly  evangelical, — never  indeed  so 
distinctly  evangelistic.  Its  leaders  seem  inspired 
with  almost  Apostolic  earnestness,  and  not  since 
the  days  of  the  Apostles  has  the  truth  of  Christ 
been  proclaimed  with  greater  enthusiasm  and  more 
convincing  power  than  in  its  pulpits.  But  the  doc- 
trinal tendencies  and  pulpit  peculiarities  of  these 
churches  will  be  more  carefully  examined  at  a  later 
stage  of  our  study. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  in  this  connection  to  trace 
with  care  the  development  of  Congregationalism  in 
the  United  States.  At  first  there  was  the  contest 
between  Puritan  and  Pilgrim  principles  in  New 
England.  The  Puritans  soon  became  Separatists, 
and  the  dividing  lines  nominally  disappeared.  A 
longer  time,  however,  was  required  to  accomplish 
the  actual  unity  of  the  two  parties.  Indeed  it  may 
almost  be  said  that  the  line  of  cleavage  between 
the  Pilgrim  and  the  Puritan  exists  until  this  day. 
The  Puritan  emphasises  authority — the  authority 
of  organisation  and  fellowship  ;  the  Pilgrim  empha- 
sises individuality — the  duty  of  each  to  open  his 
heart  to  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  "  stand  or  fall  to  his 


'J2  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  E  KG  LAND, 

own  Master."  The  Puritan  principles  lived  longest 
perhaps  in  the  State  of  Connecticut,  where  for  a 
while  there  was  union  of  Church  and  State,  and 
where  the  Consociation  differed  but  little  from  the 
Presbytery  of  regions  farther  to  the  West.  One  of 
the  earliest  ecclesiastical  controversies  in  this  country 
concerned  the  Half-Way  Covenant,  by  which  citizen- 
ship and  membership  in  the  church  were  made 
synonymous ;  but  that  was  a  relic  of  the  older  con- 
troversy between  Pilgrim  and  Puritan.  In  the  old 
days  it  was  often  said,  even  at  Andover  and  New 
Haven,  that  New  England  belonged  to  Congrega- 
tionalism, while  the  Middle  States  and  the  West 
should  be  left  to  the  Presbyterians;  but  those  who 
spoke  thus  little  dreamed  of  the  proportions  to  which 
this  Republic  would  grow.  The  institutions  which 
the  Pilgrims  founded  have  moved  northward  to  the 
Canadian  line  and  westward  to  the  Pacific.  As  men 
have  been  educated  and  trained  to  independent 
thought  they  have  in  all  lands  asserted  the  truth  for 
which  the  Separatist  contended  in  the  old  battle 
with  the  Establishment,  namely,  that  each  man  is 
individually  responsible  to  God  alone  for  his  faith 
and  worship. 

The  Congregational  churches  have  multiplied  and 
extended  themselves  over  America.  The  Method- 
ists, the  Baptists  and  the  Presbyterians  are  more 
numerous,  but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  Congre- 
gationalism is  primaril}'  a  principle  and  not  an  organ- 


BEGIXX/XG  AND  GROWrif.  73 

isation.  Its  growth  and  influence  cannot  be  esti- 
mated from  the  membership  of  the  churches  which 
bear  the  Congregational  name,  even  when  it  is 
remembered  that  Baptists  are  Congregationalists. 
Congregationalism  is  an  atmosphere,  or,  perhaps  bet- 
ter, it  is  like  the  invisible  forces  of  nature,  whose 
presence  is  detected  only  by  the  changes  which 
they  work.  Its  influence  is  seen  in  the  decadence 
of  the  supremacy  of  the  episcopate  in  Methodism, 
and  in  the  growing  independence  of  the  individual 
church.  Its  progress  is  seen  in  the  gradual  trans- 
formation of  the  Presbyterian  denomination,  in 
which  there  is  appearing  the  recognition  of  the  fact 
that  however  much  the  local  churches  may  combine 
for  aggressive  work  no  power  can  force  into  uni- 
formity the  thinking  of  their  members.  The  move- 
ment in  Presbyterianism  on  both  sides  of  the  water, 
first,  for  the  revision  of  the  Westminster  Confession 
and  then  to  supplant  it  with  a  short  and  credible 
creed,  is  distinctively  a  triumph  of  Congregational 
principles.  If  the  Presb}'terian  churches  of  a  whole 
State  were  to  become  nominally  Congregational  the 
victory  would  not  be  more  evident. 

It  has  been  said  that  democracy  in  church  polity 
will  do  very  well  in  the  Millennium,  but  not  before. 
On  the  contrary  it  is  the  polit\*  for  men  who  think, 
and  who  recognise  individual  responsibilit}',  here 
and  now.  It  has  been  called  "  a  rope  of  sand,"  but 
no    carefulh-    welded    ecclesiastical   chain    holds   its 


74  THE  ^ILGRr^^  ix  old  exglaxd. 

members  more  closely  to  pure  religion  than  does 
that  "  rope  of  sand."  Prophetic  fingers  in  our  time 
point  toward  a  day  in  which  union  in  organisation 
will  be  subordinate  to  the  unity  of  the  spirit  and 
yet  realised  through  it ;  in  which  men  will  act  and 
think  as  they  have  light  and  guidance  from  the 
Spirit  of  Truth  ;  in  which  the  principles  that  im- 
pelled the  Pilgrims  to  leave  their  fatherland,  and 
for  which  Barrowe,  Greenwood  and  Penry  suffered 
martyrdom,  will  have  a  large  and  regulative  influ- 
ence on  all  ecclesiastical  thought  and  life. 

This  stud}'  of  the  Beginning  and  Growth  of  mod- 
ern Congregationalism  has  brought  into  clear  out- 
line certain  great  facts.  Of  the  Puritan  Revolution 
Carlyle  says  :  "  I  will  call  it  a  section  once  more  of 
that  great  universal  war  which  alone  makes  up  the 
true  history  of  the  world — the  war  of  belief  against 
unbelief !  The  struggle  of  men  intent  on  the  real 
essence  of  things  against  men  intent  on  the  sem- 
blance and  forms  of  things."  *  By  that  sentence 
Carlyle  has  illuminated  the  heart  of  the  controvers}' 
between  Independency  and  a  State  Church.  It  has 
been  all  along  a  part  of  the  great  struggle  between 
belief  and  unbelief — between  reality  and  appear- 
ance. The  Separatists,  the  fathers  of  modern  Con- 
gregationalism, believed  in  the  sovereignty  of  God, 
the  deity  of  Christ,  and  the  immediate  touch  of 
the  Divine  Spirit  on   the  human  spirit.     To  them 

*  "  Heroes,"  p.  189. 


nEG/XiV/XG  AND  GROWTH.  75 

the  life  of  tlic  spirit  was  tlic  only  reality.  Because 
they  believed  that  could  they  open  their  hearts  to 
God  and  have  Divine  guidance  they  cared  little  for 
human  leadership.  They  were  men  with  a  Calvin- 
istic  creed,  and  they  believed  in  the  Bible  as  few 
men  have  ever  believed  in  it  ;  }'et  the}-  believed, 
too,  in  the  right  of  each  individual  to  interpret  the 
Bible  for  himself,  and  to  do  his  own  thinking.  The 
Presbyterian  Puritans  believed  also  in  the  Book,  but 
in  it  as  interpreted  by  Calvin,  and  they  attempted 
to  compel  all  others  to  think  as  they  did.  Since 
the  Restoration  they  have  had  a  small  place  and 
comparatively  little  influence  in  England.  Scotland 
has  been  the  home  of  the  Presbyterians. 

The  text  which  inspired  the  faith  and  fortitude  of 
our  fathers  more  than  any  other  is,  "  Ye  have  an 
unction  from  the  Holy  One,  and  need  not  that  any 
man  should  teach  you."  The}'  laid  broad  and  deep 
the  foundations  not  only  of  a  new  social  order,  but 
also  of  a  new  sj^iiritual  order.  They  were  the  pro- 
genitors of  that  modern  progress  in  theology  which 
is  not  satisfied  with  negations,  but  is  positive  and 
constructive. 

In  England  the  Separatists  were  more  conservative 
of  the  old  Calvinism  than  the  Presbyterians,  for  the 
latter  fell  away  into  Unitarianism,  and  yet  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Independents  made  them  tolerant. 
Their  God  was  too  great  to  be  fully  comprehended 
by    an)'    school    of    thinkers.      "  Religion    is    never 


y6  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

intolerant,  but  only  religious  systems."  *  The  Ply- 
mouth Pilgrims  had  a  home  for  Roger  Williams,  and 
chose  for  their  military  leader  one  who  has  been 
supposed  to  have  been  a  Roman  Catholic.  Sternly 
Calvinistic  themselves,  they  }'et  insisted  that  the 
Word  of  God  is  the  sufficient  rule  of  doctrine  and 
of  life,  and  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  its  only  true  inter- 
preter. As  a  necessary  result  there  is  a  wide 
divergence  of  theological  attitude  manifest  in  their 
descendants.  Among  them  emphasis  has  been 
placed  upon  the  spiritual  life  rather  than  upon  uni- 
formity of  doctrine.  Those  who  study  the  ways  of 
spirit  do  not  forget  that  as  the  Divine  Life  in  nature 
has  myriad  manifestations — reverberating  in  the 
thunder,  flashing  in  the  lightning,  rolling  in  the  sea, 
blooming  in  the  flowers,  bending  in  the  fruitage  of 
the  trees,  running  in  the  animals  of  the  field,  singing 
in  the  birds,  laughing  in  the  joy  of  childhood  and 
struggling  in  the  strength  of  manhood — so  the  spirit- 
ual life  of  humanity,  following  the  Divine  impulse, 
will  have  equally  diverse  manifestations — appearing 
in  profound  studies  of  the  infinite  and  eternal,  rising 
in  earnest  prayers,  voicing  itself  in  anthem  and 
oratorio,  going  out  in  sympathy  for  the  weak  and 
the  afflicted,  and  planning  enterprises  for  bringing 
the  whole  world  under  the  dominion  of  the  Master. 
Spirituality  necessitates  individuality. 

The  chief  difference  to-day  between  the  Congre- 

*  Pfleirlerer,  "  Development  of  Theology,"  p,  48. 


BEGLV.VnVG  AAD  GKOWTIf.  // 

gationalists  and  those  who  beHcvc  in  stronger  forms 
of  government  is,  that  the  former  have  faith  in  the 
present  efficiency  of  the  Living  Spirit,  while  the 
latter  have  more  confidence  in  His  manifestation 
once  made  to  those  who  are  now  dead  than  in  His 
continuous  ministry.  They  are  sure  that  God  came, 
but  not  sure  that  He  is  always  coming  to  His  peo- 
ple. Yet,  if  Robinson,  Greenwood  and  Penry  were 
guided  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  why  may  not  the  same 
guidance  be  expected  under  these  serener  skies,  and 
in  this  era  of  unexampled  progress?  The  fathers 
believed  in  the  immediate  touch  of  the  Divine 
Spirit,  and  their  children  can  show  their  loyalty  to 
the  fathers  in  no  way  so  well  as  by  keeping  their 
hearts  open  and  their  minds  pure  that  the  same 
Spirit  may  dwell  in  and  inspire  them.  We  know 
not  what  the  fathers  believe  now  ;  we  know  what 
they  believed  three  hundred  years  ago.  The  light 
and  beatitude  of  Heaven  must  have  wrought  great 
changes  in  their  knowledge  of  God  and  of  His  uni- 
verse. In  His  own  time  the  Spirit  will  lead  their 
children  to  clearer  visions  and  ampler  knowledge. 

The  Separatists — the  men  of  Southwark  and 
Scrooby,  the  men  of  the  "  ?^Iayflowcr  "'  and  of  Ply- 
mouth— were  men  of  faith  and  of  prayer.  When- 
ever they  undertook  a  great  work  they  turned  to 
God  for  His  guidance.  Carlyle  says  of  Cromwell:* 
"  All  his  great    enterprises   were  commenced  with 

*  "  On  Heroes,"  p.  201, 


y8  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

prayer.  In  dark,  incxtricablc-looking  difficulties  his 
officers  and  he  used  to  assemble,  and  pray  alter- 
nately for  hours,  for  days,  until  some  definite  resolu- 
tion rose  among  them,  some  '  door  of  hope,'  as  they 
would  name  it,  disclosed  itself.  Consider  that.  In 
tears,  in  fervent  prayers,  and  cries  to  the  great  God 
to  have  pity  on  them,  to  make  His  light  shine  be- 
fore them." 

Cromwell  and  his  soldiers  were  the  brethren  of 
those  who  first  fled  to  Holland  for  freedom,  and 
who  crossed  the  sea  to  lay  broad  and  deep  the 
foundations  of  American  civilisation.  When  the 
Pilgrims  were  about  to  sail  from  Holland  they 
gathered  in  the  cabin  of  the  "  Speedwell,"  (a  vessel 
afterwards  abandoned  as  unseaworthy),  and  their 
pastor,  John  Robinson,  who  was  to  remain  behind, 
commended  them  all  unto  the  care  of  Him  who 
holds  the  winds  and  waves  in  His  hands.  The 
prayer  of  the  Pilgrim  pastor  seems  to  have  rested 
like  a  benediction  on  that  company.  Its  answer  he 
never  saw.  Its  answer  is  not  yet  complete.  When 
the  "  Mayflower  "  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Ply- 
mouth, and  Pilgrim  feet  for  the  first  time  trod 
those  sands,  William  Brewster  knelt  on  the  shore  of 
what  was  then  an  unknown  wild  and  invoked  the 
blessing  of  Almighty  God  on  the  work  then  un- 
dertaken. To  read  the  answer  to  that  prayer  one 
must  travel  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  from 
the  Lakes  to  the  Gulf,  and  he  will  see  it  in  churches 


BEGIXXIXG  AXD  GKOWTIf.  79 

and  schools,  in  colleges  and  universities,  in  villages 
and  cities,  in  seventy  millions  of  population  among 
whom  is  almost  realized  the  ideal  of  "  a  Church 
without  a  Bishop  and  a  State  without  a  King." 
For  as  the  years  passed,  other  colonies  came  to  the 
New  World.  The  spirit  which  had  asserted  inde- 
pendence in  the  Old  World  reasserted  it  in  the  New. 
The  inspiration  of  the  American  Revolution  came 
from  the  Pilgrim  churches.  Their  preachers  were 
prophets  of  the  new  day.  They  were  men  who  be- 
lieved in  God,  and  in  the  manifestation  of  His  power 
in  the  affairs  of  men. 

The  history  of  the  Pilgrims — both  in  England 
and  in  the  nation  which  they  founded  and  their 
children  have  preserved  on  this  side  of  the  Atlan- 
tic— is  inseparably  associated  with  their  faith  in 
prayer  and  in  Providence. 

The  Pilgrims  sought  to  realise  a  high  ideal  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God.  The  ideals  of  Rome  and  Geneva 
were  of  a  gigantic  State  in  which  the  spiritual  should 
unite  with  and  control  the  secular.  The  Separatists 
received  their  name  because  they  heard  and  heeded 
the  command  :  "  Come  ye  out  from  among  them, 
and  be  ye  separate."  Nevertheless,  they  recognised 
the  Divine  authority  of  the  State.  They  were 
neither  Anarchists  nor  Socialists.  Their  contention 
was  that  the  sphere  of  the  State  should  not  domi- 
nate the  sphere  of  the  Spirit.  Their  conception  of 
the  Kingdom  of  God  was  of  a  kingdom  of  righteous- 


80  THE  riLGRIM  IX  OLD  ENGLAND. 

ness  embodied  in  the  lives  of  individuals  and  States. 
They  taught  that  the  first  step  toward  that  result 
would  be  taken  when  men  were  made  true  to  con- 
science and  loyal  to  the  truth  of  the  Bible  as  it  v/as 
interpreted  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  Their  heroes 
were  Moses,  Elijah  and  Isaiah ;  their  favorite  read- 
ing, the  writings  of  the  Hebrew  prophets.  They 
were  prophets  themselves. 

To  promote  righteousness,  first  in  the  individual 
and  then  in  humanity,  was  the  object  of  our  Lord. 
For  that  He  came  ;  for  that  He  died  ;  for  that  He 
ever  lives.  Righteousness  is  the  life  of  God  ;  it 
must  be  the  life  of  the  children  of  God.  That  ideal 
represents  the  Kingdom  as  vital  rather  than  me- 
chanical. It  is  entered  by  spiritual  birth  rather  than 
by  baptism.  The  Established  Church  sought  to 
make  men  righteous  by  bringing  all  to  uniformity  in 
certain  rites  and  ceremonies.  The  Presbyterian- 
Puritans  sought  to  hasten  the  Kingdom  by  the 
strong  arm  of  the  law  ;  they  attempted  to  coerce 
the  thinking  of  spirits  which  God  had  made  free. 
Browne  and  Greenwood,  Barrowe  and  Robinson, 
were  far  from  mild  or  entirely  Christlike  men  in 
their  speech  or  conduct  ;  on  the  other  hand,  they 
were  often  harsh,  and  sometimes,  possibly,  cruel  ; 
but  their  times  needed  strongmen;  and  they  cham- 
pioned a  truth  which  has  revolutionised  society, — 
that  the  only  way  in  which  a  man  can  be  made 
righteous  is  for  him  voluntarily  to  submit  his  will 


BEGINNING  AND  GROWTH.  8 1 

and  open  his  heart  to  the  Spirit  of  God.  An  in- 
spired man,  a  God-breathed  man,  in  these  days  as 
in  all  days,  will  be  a  prophet,  a  priest,  a  righteous 
man. 

The  Separatist  ideal  of  the  Kingdom  was  that  of 
a  kingdom  of  righteousness  made  real  through  the 
ministry  of  the  Spirit.  The  splendor  of  that  ideal  is 
gradually  becoming  more  clearly  recognised.  The 
dominion  of  the  State  over  the  Church  is  in  many 
lands  practically  a  thing  of  the  past.  Where  it  has 
not  ceased  its  days  are  numbered.  Men  must  think 
for  themselves.  Conscience  knows  no  master  but 
its  Author.  The  human  mind  cannot  be  fettered. 
It  is  an  emanation  from  God.  It  cannot  be  bound, 
but  it  may  be  illuminated.  The  Pilgrims  trusted 
the  Spirit  without  so  to  present  truth  to  the  spirit 
within  that  it  would  be  self-evidencing. 

Not  in  forms  and  ceremonies  ;  not  in  creeds  and 
confessions  ;  not  in  councils  and  assemblies  ;  not  in 
laws  against  heresy,  nor  in  complicated  machinery  of 
organisation  for  aggressive  work,  is  the  hope  of  the 
future  ;  but  in  the  fact  that,  more  and  more,  free 
men  are  coming  to  recognise  that  they  have  the 
sublime  and  inviolable  privilege  of  seeking  and 
realising  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit  of  Truth.  As 
the  fathers  who  went  before  us,  as  the  Apostles  and 
prophets  of  earlier  times,  we  may  open  our  hearts 
to  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  by  Him  may  be  inspired,  may 
voice   His    messages,  perform  His  ministries,  in  the 


82  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

midst  of  time,  twilight,  midnight  and  sorrow,  until 
all  enter  His  life  and  rejoice  in  His  love,  "  until  the 
day  shall  dawn  and  the  shadows  flee  away." 

It  is  written  in  the  Prophets, — "  They  shall  all  be 
taught  of  God."  That  prophecy  is  nearer  fulfilment 
in  our  time  than  it  has  ever  been  before  ;  when  it 
ceases  to  be  prophecy  and  describes  what  actually  is, 
the  Kingdom  of  God  will  have  come  upon  the  earth. 


III. 

CHURCH  AND  STATE. 


"  Every  one  of  the  Church  is  made  a  King,  a  Priest,  and  a  Prophet 
under  Christ,  to  uphold  and  further  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  to 
break  and  destroy  the  kingdom  of  Antichrist  and  Satan.  The  King- 
dom of  all  Christians  is  their  office  of  guiding  and  ruling  with  Christ, 
to  subdue  the  wicked,  and  make  one  another  obedient  to  Christ. 
Their  Priesthood  is  their  oflice  of  cleansing  and  redressing  wicked- 
ness, whereby  sin  and  uncleanness  is  taken  away  from  amongst  them. 
Their  Prophecy  is  their  office  of  judging  all  things  by  the  Word  of 
God,  whereby  they  increase  in  knowledge  and  wisdom  among  them- 
selves."— Robert  Browne. 

"  The  main  ground  for  settling  episcopal  government  in  this  nation 
was  not  on  any  pretence  of  Divine  right,  but  the  conveniency  of  that 
form  to  the  state  and  condition  of  this  Church  at  the  time  of  the 
Reformation." — Bishop  Stillingfleet. 

"  The  highest  authority  was  in  the  people,  or  whole  body  of  Chris- 
tians :  for  even  the  Apostles  themselves  inculcated  by  their  example 
that  nothing  of  any  moment  was  to  be  done  or  determined  on  but 
with  the  knowledge  and  consent  of  the  brotherhood  (Acts  i.  15;  vi. 
3;  xi.  4.  xxi.  22).  And  this  mode  of  proceeding  both  prudence  and 
necessity  required  in  those  early  times." — MoSHElM. 

"  In  the  first  ages  of  its  history,  while,  on  the  one  hand,  it  was  a 
great  and  living  faith,  so,  on  the  other  hand,  it  was  avast  and  organ- 
ised brotherhood.     And,  being  a  brotherhood,  it  was  a  democracy." 

— Edwin  Hatch. 


IIL 

CHURCH   AND  STATE. 

A  STUDY  of  Pilgrim  principles  would  be  incom- 
plete without  an  examination  of  the  relation  be- 
tween Church  and  State  in  England.  The  religious 
problem  there  is  very  different  from  what  it  is  in 
the  United  States.  In  America  the  voluntary  sys- 
tem is  universal  ;  in  England,  however,  the  Church 
is  as  much  a  part  of  the  government  as  the  Crown, 
or  the  Judiciary.  The  three  estates  of  the  realm 
are  not,  as  is  sometimes  erroneously  supposed,  the 
Crown,  the  Lords  and  the  Commons,  but  the  Lords 
Spiritual,  the  Lords  Temporal  and  the  Commons. 

The  Church  is  the  State  on  its  spiritual  side,  and 
the  State  is  the  Church  on  its  political  side.  All 
the  officers  of  the  Church  are  officers  of  the  State, 
and  are  not  amenable  to  any  authority  inherent  in 
the  spiritual  body,  but  to  the  spiritual  powers  inhe- 
rent in  the  State.  The  Queen  is  the  head  of  the 
Church  because  she  is  head  of  the  nation.  The 
Church  as  such  has  no  voice  in  the  conduct  of  civil 
affairs      There    are    Convocations,   Congresses   and 


86  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Lambeth  Conferences,  Archbishops,  Bishops,  Deans, 
etc.,  but  these  are  all  for  the  discliarge  of  duties 
clearly  defined  by  the  civil  power.  Moreover,  the 
ecclesiastical  authorities  are  all  appointees  of  the 
civil  authorities.  The  reverse  is  never  true.  The 
Bishops  never  designate  the  occupant  of  the  throne, 
but  the  reigning  monarch  always  determines  who 
shall  be  Bishop.  The  King  may  be  an  infidel,  or 
a  debauchee,  and  still  have  the  responsibility  of 
appointing  the  most  distinguished  and  important 
officials  of  the  Church.  That  difficulty  is  not  theo- 
retical. The  throne  expresses  its  will  through  the 
Prime  Minister,  and  more  than  once  both  Sovereign 
and  Prime  Minister  have  been  men  utterly  unfit 
for  the  discharge  of  such  duties. 

Moreover,  the  laws  governing  the  Church  are 
made  and  executed  by  the  law-makers  of  the  king- 
dom— the  Plouses  of  Parliament.  The  House  of 
Commons  represents  the  whole  realm,  and  its  mem- 
bers are  returned  not  only  by  members  of  the  Estab- 
lished Church  but  also  by  Jews,  Agnostics,  Roman 
Catholics,  and  the  various  Nonconformist  churches; 
and  men  like  Charles  Bradlaugh,  Henry  Labouchere, 
John  Morley,  Randolph  Churchill,  the  Duke  of 
Marlborough  and  the  Marquis  of  Queensberry,  have 
a  voice  in  the  decision  of  spiritual  questions.  Even 
the  Parsee  Member  of  Parliament  from  Finsbury  has 
a  vote  in  determining  the  action  of  the  Established 
Church,  of  which  he,  by  virtue  of  his  political  office, 
is  a  director. 


CnrKCH  AND  STATE.  87 

In  the  ecclesiastical  polity  of  Eii<;land  a  man  has 
no  rights  or  privileges  because  of  his  regenerate 
character.  His  position  in  the  Church,  as  in  the 
State,  is  largely  determined  by  his  hereditary  posses- 
sions. Nonconformist  ministers  of  saintly  spirit  have 
neither  place  nor  recognition  in  the  State,  and  Non- 
conformist churches  have  no  other  standing  than 
secular  societies.  A  Dissenting  pastor  may  not  per- 
form a  marriage  service  without  the  presence  of  a 
Registrar.  An  ignorant  and  brainless  curate  is  an 
ofTficer  of  the  State,  while  learned  and  venerable 
Nonconformists,  like  Dr.  Dale  or  Dr.  AUon,  have  no 
ofificial  standing. 

The  Establishment  has  not  only  the  official  rec- 
ognition but  also  the  prestige  of  wealth,  authority 
and  social  influence.  It  has  a  monopoly  of  the 
royalty  and  nobility.  Those  who  worship  in  the 
Episcopal  churches  look  down,  often  superciliousl}-, 
upon  those  who  worship  in  the  Nonconformist 
"  chapels."  The  "  clergymen  "  not  infrequently  as- 
sume a  lordly  bearing,  while  "  ministers  "  in  many 
localities  are  regarded  by  them  as  almost  beneath 
contempt.  This  air  of  offensive  superiority  is  by 
no  means  universal,  and  is  far  less  common  than  it 
was  a  few  jxars  ago.  In  the  cities,  Nonconformit\- 
has  made  itself  respectable.  Its  members  have 
wealth,  and,  now  that  the  Universities  are  open  to 
them,  culture  also.  Direct  conflict  between  the 
Church    and    Dissent    is    no    longer    common.       In 


88  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

many  places  the  members  of  the  dissenting  churches 
have  compelled  appreciation ;  now  and  then  they 
are  called  upon  for  important  functions,  and  even 
appointed  on  Royal  Commissions.  And  yet  in  the 
Church  Congresses  and  other  assemblies,  words  are 
often  spoken  even  by  distinguished  prelates  which 
show  that  the  old  animosity  is  by  no  means  dead. 
In  country  districts,  where  the  vicars  and  curates 
assume  an  almost  divine  authority,  there  is  frequent 
ill-feeling,  and  sometimes  open  collision,  while  in 
Wales  there  is  something  resembling  continual  battle. 
Let  us  now  consider  what  may  be  called  the  Evo- 
lution of  the  Established  Church  in  Great  Britain. 
The  date  of  the  introduction  of  Christianity  into 
the  British  Islands  is  unknown,  and,  as  Parkinson 
says,  "  What  account  we  have  belongs  rather  to 
tradition  than  to  history.  Whence  it  came — at  what 
period — to  what  extent  it  prevailed — are  equally 
uncertain."*  Christian  churches  existed  in  Great 
Britain  without  doubt  before  the  arrival  of  Au^us- 
tine  (596).  When  the  country  was  conquered  by 
the  Anglo-Saxons  the  Christians  fled  into  the 
mountainous  districts.  "Britain,"  says  Milman, 
"  was  the  only  country  in  which  the  conquest  by  the 
northern  barbarians  had  been  followed  by  the 
extinction  of  Christianity."t  "And  yet,"  he  adds, 
'*  Christianity  was  driven  to  the  mountain  fastnesses 

*  Parkinson,  "  State  Churches,"  p.  81. 
t  "Latin  Christianity,"  Vol.  II.,p.  54. 


CHURCn  AND  STATE.  ^c\ 

of  Scotland  and  Wales,  and  there  it  survived,  a  con- 
tinuing:^, flickering  existence,"  The  history  of  the 
Church  in  Great  Britain,  however,  really  begins  with 
the  Pontificate  of  Gregory  the  Great  and  the  mission 
of  Augustine.  Gregory  was  one  of  the  four  or  five 
great  Popes  before  the  Reformation.  His  name 
must  be  ranked  with  those  of  Innocent  I.,  Leo  the 
Great,  and  Hildebrand.  From  the  Church  as  intro- 
duced by  Gregory  and  Augustine  has  descended 
the  present  Establishment.  It  has  no  relation  to 
that  which  had  existed  in  England  a  long  time 
before.  "  It  was  born  of  the  preaching  of  a  monk, 
and  its  sponsors  were  a  Pope  and  a  King." 

During  the  period  between  Augustine  and  the 
reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth  the  Roman  Church  was 
supreme.  It  converted  the  people  cii  luasse,  not  by 
a  change  of  heart,  but  by  winning  the  rulers,  and 
then  inducing  them  to  command  the  conversion 
of  their  subjects.  The  first  sermon  of  the  monk 
Augustine  "  was  a  procession  of  ecclesiastics  in  the 
presence  of  Ethelbert's  court;  one  bearing  a  silver 
cross,  another  a  picture  of  the  Saviour,  the  rest 
chanting  litanies.  The  key-note  of  English  eccle- 
siastical history  is  here  sounded.  It  is  not  the  will- 
ing conversion  of  a  people  to  the  religion  of  the 
New  Testament ;  it  is  the  transition  by  law  from 
Paganism  to  Popery."*  "  The  ecclesiastical  system 
'  was  built  on  the  lines  of  the  State."  The  bishoprics 
*  Parkinson,  "  State  Churches,"  pp.  83  and  84. 


90  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

were  commensurate  with  the  kingdoms.  The 
bishop  was  a  magistrate  of  the  shire,  and  '  he  took 
his  seat  in  the  national  council,  or  Witenagemot.'  "* 
In  this  way  Christianity  was  established  in  England. 
The  kings  of  the  separate  nations  were  converted, 
and  then  they  delivered  their  people  to  the  Church 
"  in  blocks  "  to  suit  their  fancy  or  cupidity.  From 
that  time  to  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth,  Rome 
was  in  the  ascendant  in  England.  The  civil  rulers 
were  often  jealous  of  the  spiritual,  and  between  the 
two  there  were  frequent  outbreaks  of  violence ;  but 
the  advantage  was  all  on  the  side  of  the  Church,  for, 
however  brave  the  King  might  be  when  facing  his 
Bishops,  he  dared  not  defy  Rome.  The  courts  of  the 
Church  soon  became  more  powerful  than  the  courts 
of  the  State.  The  reason  for  this  was  that  for  diso- 
bedience the  former  were  able  to  threaten  not  only 
temporal  but  also  spiritual  penalties.  As  a  result,  the 
civil  rulers  often  sought  the  co-operation  of  the  spir- 
itual authorities  in  order  that  the  edicts  of  the  State 
might  have  greater  force  ;  and  in  turn  the  spiritual 
authorities  demanded  the  co-operation  and  support 
of  the  civil  rulers.  "  The  power  of  the  Ecclesiastical 
Court  varied  according  to  the  strength  or  weakness  of 
the  character  of  the  reigning  sovereign;  but  it  gradu- 
ally increased  until  it  became  an  intolerable  despot- 
ism. It  declared  its  supremacy  over  the  temporal 
power."  f     With  the   growth  of  the  spiritual  power. 

*  Parkinson,  "  State  Churches,"  p.  89.     I  IbiJ,  p.  85. 


CHURCH  AND  STA  TE.  9I 

there  was  also  growth  in  riches,  and  the  possession  of 
wealth  gave  the  Church  abilit\"  to  coerce  the  govern- 
ment. These  things  excited  irritation,  and  the  sub- 
sequent history  of  England  is  full  of  the  records  of 
the  contest  between  Church  and  State  which  ensued. 
"  Under  the  vacillating  rule  of  John,  the  royal  power 
bowed  again  to  the  claims  of  Church  authority.  The 
story  is  familiar,  how  the  Canterbury  monks  with  the 
sanction  of  the  King  designated  the  successor  to 
Hubert — how  Innocent  III.  overruled  the  election 
and  appointed  Stephen  Langton — how  the  King 
violently  maintained  his  right — how  the  Papal  inter- 
dict imposed  upon  him  the  curse  of  the  Church  and 
freed  his  subjects  from  their  allegiance — how  the 
successor  of  Peter  triumphed  over  the  successor  of 
the  Conqueror,  and  compelled  him  to  submission — 
how  all  England  was  reduced  to  the  Roman  bondage 
— and  how,  in  that  dark  hour  of  degrading  supersti- 
tion, the  Barons  won  from  the  impotent  t)'ranny  of 
the  King  the  concession  of  the  Charter  which  was 
the  foundation  of  English  liberty."* 

To  attempt  to  trace  with  more  care  the  growth  of 
the  Church  before  the  Reformation  is  quite  unneces- 
sar}\  It  should  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  even 
preceding  the  time  of  Henr\- many,  like  \\'\-cliffe  and 
his  followers,  were  great  and  strong  enough  to  dare  to 
preach  a  spiritual  Christianity  of  as  high  and  pure  a 
*  Parkinson,  "  State  Churches,"  p.  93. 


92  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

type  as  that  which  inspired  the  Reformation  under 
Luther  and  Calvin.  It  is  of  much  importance  to 
our  subject  that  the  fact  should  be  kept  in  mind 
that  the  present  Church  Establishment  owes  its  ori- 
gin to  Augustine  the  monk  and  to  Gregory  the 
Pope,  and  that  the  claim  which  the  Anglican  Church 
has  sometimes  made  that  it  is  in  a  direct  lineage 
from  Apostolic  times  cannot  be  maintained. 

In  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth  the  Reforma- 
tion was  in  the  air.  Luther  had  defied  the  Pope, 
and  Calvin  had  founded  his  theocratic  State  in 
Geneva.  It  may  well  be  doubted  whether  Henry, 
if  he  had  lived  two  centuries  earlier,  would  have 
dared  to  take  the  step  which  he  did,  for  he  pos- 
sessed little  of  the  spirit  or  principle  of  a  reformer. 
The  truth,  when  plainly  told,  is  that  the  present 
English  Church  Establishment  owes  its  existence  to 
the  anger  of  a  corrupt  and  sensual  king  against  the 
Pope,  because  the  latter  would  not  sanction  the 
divorce  of  the  King  from  Catharine  of  Aragon,  and 
his  marriage  with  Anne  Boleyn.  "  The  existence 
of  the  Church  of  England  as  a  distinct  body,  and 
her  final  separation  from  Rome,  may  be  dated  from 
the  period  of  the  divorce."  -  Mr.  Lecky  speaks  of 
the  Anglican  Church  as  having  been  "created  in 
the    first    instance    by    a    court    intrigue."  f      Dr. 

*   Bishop  Short,  "  History  of  the  Cliurch  of  England,"  p.  86,  Sixth 
Edition. 

t  "  History  of  Rationalism."     Vol.  H.,  p,  193. 


CHURCH  A. YD  STATE. 


93 


Stubbs,  the  Bishop  of  Chester,  says  :  "  In  the  gen- 
eral legislation  of  the  Church  the  EngHsh  Church 
and  nation  had  ahke  but  a  small  share ;  the  pro- 
mulgation of  the  successive  portions  of  the  De- 
cretals (the  letters  written  by  the  Popes  for  the 
determining  of  matters  of  controversy,  and  having 
the  authority  of  law)  was  a  papal  act  to  which 
Christendom  at  large  gave  a  silent  acquiescence  ; 
the  Crown  asserted  and  maintained  the  right  to  for- 
bid the  introduction  of  papal  bulls  without  a  royal 
license,  both  in  general  and  particular  cases  ;  and  the 
English  prelates  had  their  places,  and  the  ambassa- 
dors accredited  by  the  King  and  the  estates  had 
their  right  to  be  heard  in  the  general  council  of  the 
Church,  But  except  in  the  rare  case  of  collision 
with  national  law  the  general  legislation  of  Christen- 
dom, whether  by  Pope  or  council,  was  accepted  as  a 
matter  of  course."* 

Before  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth,  the  State 
had  been  under  the  dominion  of  the  Church.  At 
that  time  the  Church  as  a  separate  organisation  had 
no  existence.  After  the  so-called  Reformation  un- 
der Henry  it  was  a  separate,  independent  National 
Church,  "  having  no  connection  with  the  Church  of 
Rome  ;  declaring  in  its  articles  that  some  of  the 
distinctive  doctrines  of  that  Church  are  '  blasphe- 
mous fables  and  dangerous  deceits,'  and  regulated 
*  "  Constitutional  History,"  Vol.  III^  p.  348. 


94  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

in  all  its  procedure,  as  it  was  founded,  by  the  action 
of  the  legislature.*  " 

In  1532,  the  Statute  of  Citations  was  enacted, 
which  made  it  impossible  for  the  King's  subjects  to 
be  summoned  to  the  Archbishop's  Court  in  London 
except  at  the  request  of  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese. 
The  next  Act,  1533,  attacked  the  authority  of  the 
Pope  himself.  It  was  called  "An  Act  for  the  Re- 
straint of  Appeals,"  and  was  passed  in  order  that 
Queen  Catharine  might  be  prevented  from  appealing 
to  the  Pope.  The  next  Act,  in  1534,  made  Henry 
the  head  of  the  Church,  because  it  provided  that  all 
persons  should  make  their  appeals  "  immediately  to 
the  King's  Majesty  of  this  realm  in  the  Court  of 
Chancery,  in  like  manner  as  they  used  afore  to  do 
to  the  See  of  Rome."  f  Following  this  was  an  Act 
which  provided  that  the  appointment  of  Bishops 
should  be  in  the  hands  of  the  King ;  and  that  Act 
remains  to-day  as  in  Henry's  time,  and  is  a  curious 
specimen  of  ecclesiastical  mummery,  for  it  provides 
that  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  the  Cathedral 
Churches,  where  there  may  be  a  vacancy,  shall  pro- 
ceed to  the  election  of  the  ofificers  to  be  chosen,  in 
accordance  with  a  letter  missive  which  they  will  re- 
ceive, but  they  must  always  elect  the  person  whose 
name  is  suggested  by  the  Crown  in  the  letter,  under 
the  penalty  o(  a. p'(^7n7mtre.     In   1539  a  statute  was 

*  "  Case  for  Disestablishment,"  p.  34. 
t  Il'id,  pp.  35-36. 


riU'RCn  AXD  STATE.  95 

passed  authorising  the  King  to  create  new  bisliop- 
rics.  Then  followed,  in  the  same  year,  a  statute  by 
which  the  places  of  the  Bishops  in  the  House  of 
Lords  were  determined,  and  that  statute  is  still  in 
force — the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  sitting  next  to 
the  Lord  Privy  Seal,  who  is  the  vicegerent  of  the 
King.  The  most  important  of  these  Acts,  perhaps, 
was  that  by  which  the  King  assumed  the  headship 
of  the  Church,  which  was  passed  in  1534.  Before 
Henry's  time  the  Church  had  been  supreme,  and 
had  practically  manipulated  the  State  ;  but  he 
asserted  the  supremac}-  of  the  Crown,  and  presumed 
to  be  the  judge  of  the  doctrine,  discipline  and  gov- 
ernment of  the  Church,  and  since  then  the  Church 
has  been  simply  a  department  of  the  civil  govern- 
ment. 

Under  Queen  Mary  there  was  a  recurrence  to 
papal  control,  but  with  the  ascension  of  Elizabeth 
the  authority  of  the  English  sovereign  was  reas- 
serted and  permanently  established.  Her  first  Act 
restored  to  the  Crown  the  jurisdiction  over  the 
State,  ecclesiastical  and  spiritual,  abolishing  all  for- 
eign power  repugnant  to  the  same.  Then  followed 
the  Act  of  Uniformity,  1559  which  re-imposed  the 
use  of  what  is  known  as  the  "  Second  Prayer-Book 
of  Edward  VL"  In  1571  the  Thirty-nine  Articles 
were  adopted  as  they  now  exist.  The  penalty  for 
not  complying  with  the  provisions  of  this  Act  is 
stated  in  the  following  words:  "  Every  such  person 


96  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

which  shall  not  do  as  is  above  appointed  shall  be, 
ipso  facto,  deprived,  and  all  his  ecclesiastical  pro- 
motions shall  be  void,  as  if  he  then  were  naturally 
dead." 

The  long  contest  resulting  in  the  Puritan  Revolu- 
tion, the  part  which  was  played  by  Cromwell  and 
the  early  Puritans,  and  the  rise  of  the  Separatists, 
need  not  be  again  traced,  for,  while  they  broke  they 
did  not  destroy  the  continuity  of  the  Establishment. 
The  Church  was  re-established  under  Charles  the 
Second,  and  as  such  has  continued  until  the  present 
time.  Passing,  then,  the  period  of  the  Puritan  Rev- 
olution, we  come  to  the  Act  of  Uniformity  of  1662. 
That  Act  provides  as  follows :  "  To  the  intent  that 
every  person  within  this  realm  may  certainly  know 
the  rule  to  which  he  is  to  conform  in  public  worship, 
and  administration  of  sacraments,  and  other  rites 
and  ceremonies  of  the  Church  of  England,  all  and 
singular  ministers  in  any  cathedral,  collegiate  or  par- 
ish church  or  chapel,  or  other  place  of  public  wor- 
ship, shall  be  bound  to  use  and  say  the  morning 
prayer,  evening  prayer,  celebration  and  administra- 
tion of  both  the  sacraments,  in  such  order  and  form 
as  is  mentioned  in  the  said  book  annexed  and  joined 
to  the  present  Act,  and  entitled  '  The  Book  of  Com- 
mon Prayer.'  "  *  That  Act,  still  in  force,  made  the 
English  Church  practically  what  it  is  to-day.  Two 
thousand   ministers   resigned  their  positions  rather 

*  "  The  Case  for  Disestablishment,"  p.  44. 


CHURCH  AXD  STA  TE.  97 

than  conform  to  the  Act.  Concerning  them,  Green 
says:  "With  the  expulsion  of  the  Puritan  clcrg)', 
all  change,  all  efforts  after  reform,  all  national  de- 
velopment, suddenly  stopped.  From  that  time  to 
this  the  Episcopal  Church  has  been  unable  to  meet 
the  varying  spiritual  needs  of  its  adherents  by  any 
modification  of  its  government  or  its  worship.  It 
stands  alone  among  all  the  religious  bodies  of  West- 
ern Christendom  in  its  failure,  through  two  hundred 
years,  to  devise  a  single  new  service  of  prayer  or 
praise."  ^ 

Since  the  State  and  the  Church  are  one,  it  follows 
as  a  matter  of  course  that  membership  in  the  one 
implies  membership  in  the  other,  and  hence  we  find 
Hooker  saying  :  "  There  is  not  an}'  man  a  member 
of  the  Commonwealth  which  is  not  also  of  the 
Church  of  England."  f  And  the  author  of  "  The 
Case  for  Disestablishment  "  quotes  the  Times  of  Oc- 
tober 9,  1876,  as  saying  :  "  The  fact  is  that  all  Eng- 
lishmen are,  by  law,  members  of  the  Church.  It  is 
about  as  difificult  for  any  Englishman  to  separate  him- 
self from  the  Church  of  England  as  it  is  for  the  Church 
of  England  to  separate  itself  from  him.  Indeed, 
practically,  there  is  no  such  act,  form,  or  way  of 
separation.":}:  It  is  well  known  that  the  late  Dean 
Stanley  was  in  the  habit  of  speaking  of  Dissenters  as 

*  "Short  History  of  the  English  People,"  p.  610. 
t  Ecclesiastical  Polity,"     Book  VIII.,   Sec.  2. 
\  "  The  Case  for  Disestablishment,"  p.  46. 


98  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

"  Nonconformist  members  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land." 

From  the  supremacy  of  the  State  in  ecclesiastical 
affairs  it  follows  that  the  civil  power  has  authority 
to  create  dioceses  and  new  parishes,  and  within  recent 
years  many  new  Sees  have  been  created  by  Act 
of  Parliament,  among  them  being  Ripon,  Manches- 
ter, St.  Albans,  Truro,  Liverpool,  Newcastle,  South- 
well and  W'akefield.  New  parishes  have  been  con- 
stituted in  the  same  way,  while  church  building  is 
also  a  subject  for  State  legislation.  In  1818  no  less 
than  a  million  pounds  sterling  were  set  apart  for  the 
erection  of  churches. 

Discipline  in  the  Church  of  England  is  also 
determined  by  Act  of  Parliament.  The  "  Court  of 
Arches  "  is  a  State  Court  and  its  President  one  of 
Her  Majesty's  Judges.  If  an  appeal  is  taken  from 
that,  it  is  not  to  the  House  of  Bishops  but  to  the 
Throne.  The  relation  of  Church  and  State  has  been 
well  summarised  in  the  following  words:  "In 
effect,  therefore,  the  State  controls  the  clergy  of  the 
Established  Church  by  declaring  what  they  must 
believe  and  teach,  and  how  they  must  conduct  their 
religious  services ;  by  appointing  courts  for  the 
•express  purpose  of  hearing  complaints  against  them  ; 
and  by  prescribing  the  penalties  which  are  to  be 
imposed  upon  them  for  any  violation  of  the  laws."  "" 

The  inquiry  naturally  arises.  Has  the  spiritualit)' 

*  "  Case  for  Disestablishment,"  p.  51. 


CHURCrr  AXD  ST  A  TE.  99 

of  the  realm  any  power  ^  Is  there  no  Bixly  wliich 
can  speak  for  it  ?  The  Houses  of  Convocation,  which 
are  the  assembh'es  of  the  Church  of  Enghmd  for  the 
consideration  of  ecclesiastical  questions,  have  a  nom- 
inal importance,  and,  probably,  more  or  less  influ- 
ence legislation,  but  they  are  not  courts  of  final 
appeal.  They  may  convene  only  with  the  permis- 
sion of  the  Crown,  and  they  may  pass  no  act  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  Crown.  They  may  not  co 
much  as  discuss  the  amendment  of  a  canon  except 
with  royal  approval. 

Convocation  meets  simultaneously  with  Parlia- 
ment. England  is  under  the  spiritual  superintend- 
ence of  two  metropolitans,  the  Archbishops  of 
Canterbury  and  of  York.  Each  district  has  its 
House,  of  which  the  Archbishop  is  the  head.  The 
House  is  composed  of  Bishops,  Deans,  Archdeacons, 
members  of  the  various  Chapters,  and  representa- 
tives of  the  beneficed  clergy.  Occasionally  Convo- 
cation has  attempted  to  assert  its  own  rights,  but 
has  always  failed.  During  the  period  between  1717 
and  1 86 1  no  license  from  the  Crown  was  granted  to 
Convocation  to  proceed  to  business.  It  would 
meet  and  then  be  prorogued.  The  most  it  can  do 
is  to  consider  questions  which  concern  the  spiritual 
affairs  of  the  realm,  and  then  report  them  to  the 
oflficers  of  the  State  for  their  approval  or  disap- 
proval. An  illustration  of  this  is  a  request  which 
was  addressed   to  the   Queen  in   1S65,  praying  that 


lOO  THE  riLGRIM  I.V  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Her  Majesty  would  be  graciously  pleased  to  grant  to 
Convocation  her  royal  license  to  make  a  new  canon, 
and  to  alter  others  on  the  subject  of  Clerical  Sub- 
scription and  the  oath  against  simony.  The  reply 
of  the  Home  Secretary  stated  that  the  government 
was  willing  to  advise  Her  Majesty  to  comply  with 
the  prayer  of  Convocation,  but  as  there  was  another 
bill  before  Parliament  which  might  touch  the  case 
the  government  could  not  advise  Her  Majesty  to 
take  any  definite  action  until  it  was  known  what 
course  Parliament  would  pursue  in  the  matters 
under  consideration.  This  shows  how  absolutely 
Convocation  is  subject  to  Parliament. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  laws  which  concern  church 
property.  The  Church  is  one  of  the  largest  land- 
holders in  the  Kingdom,  and  yet  is  not  a  corpora- 
tion and  cannot  control  its  own  possessions.  The 
public  property  appropriated  to  the  maintenance  of 
the  Church  of  England  includes  "  tithes,  and  land 
set  apart  in  lieu  of  tithes,  glebe  lands,  the  episcopal 
and  capitular  estates,  the  ecclesiastical  edifices,  and 
property  in  the  hands  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Com- 
mission and  the  Corporation  of  Queen  Anne's 
Bounty.  In  addition  there  are  also  local  rates 
levied  under  special  Acts  of  Parliament."  *  The 
tithes  are  a  charge  imposed  by  the  State  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  Church  Establishment.  They 
were  originally  received  into  a  common  fund  for 
*  "  The  Case  for  Disestablishment,"  p.  54. 


CHURCir  AXD  STA  TE.  iqt 

the    fourfold    purpose    of    supporting    the     clergy, 
repairing    the    churches,    reheving    the    poor,    and 
entertaining  tlie    pilgrim   and  stranger.     Originally 
they  were  collected   in    produce:  since    1836  there 
has  been    substituted    a  tithe-rent   charge,  which   is 
chiefly  devoted  to   the  maintenance   of  the  clergy. 
All  the  bishoprics  and  cathedrals  are  endowed,  and 
many   churches    carry  with     them     large     incomes. 
The  cathedrals  form  an  important  part  of  the  pub- 
lie  property  appropriated  to  the  use  of  the   Church. 
Hon.  Arthur  Elliot,   M.    P.,   says:  "It   would     be 
absurd  and  impossible  to  put  a  money  value  on  the 
cathedrals,  churches  and  chapels  of  the  Established 
Church.     At  the  same  time  it   would    be  to  give  a 
very  false    notion   of   the   position    of  the    Church 
toward  the  State  to  omit  all  mention  of  the  sources 
from  which,  as  regards  its  edifices,   the  Church  of 
England  finds  itself  so  magnificently  endowed.     In 
the  main  the  wealth  of  the   Church   in  this   respect 
was  inherited,  or  rather  acquired,  at  the  time  of  the 
Reformation,  from  the   Roman   Catholics,  who  had 
created  it.     The  Roman  Catholics  and  the  English 
nation  had  been  formerly  one  and  the  same.     When 
the  nation,  for  the  most  part,  ceased  to  be  Catholic, 
these  edifices,  like  other  endowments  devoted    to 
the  religious   instruction  of  the  people,  became  the 
property  of  the  Protestant  Church   of   England,  as 
by  law  established."  f     It  has   been  estimated  that 

t  "  The  State  and  the  Church,"  p.  98. 


102  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  EA'GLAXD. 

the  value  of  Church  property  in  England  is  about 
^220,000,000.  This  property  is  held  by  the  State 
and  managed  by  a  Board  called  "  The  Ecclesiasti- 
cal Commission." 

The  disposition  of  this  vast  wealth  has,  as  was  to 
have  been  expected,  resulted  in  abuses  and  in  the 
growth  of  a  worldly  spirit.  It  is  said,  for  instance, 
that  Bishop  Sparke  of  Ely,  who  owed  his  promotion 
to  the  circumstance  of  having  been  tutor  to  the  Duke 
of  Rutland,  secured  to  himself,  his  sons  and  son-in- 
law,  an  income  from  different  ecclesiastical  positions 
amounting  to  ^"40,000  per  annum.  Prelates  with 
from  twenty  to  forty  thousand  pounds  a  year  lived 
sumptuousl)-  in  splendid  palaces,  while  beneath 
them  were  crowds  of  people  almost  on  the  border 
of  starvation,  ministered  to  by  half-paid  curates, 
who  were  little  better  than  slaves.  These  abuses 
were  so  great  that  at  last  an  investigation  was  called 
for,  and  the  Ecclesiastical  Commission  was  con- 
stituted in  1836,  As  a  result,  numerous  Acts  were 
passed  looking  toward  the  equalisation  of  salaries, 
and  the  wise  distribution  of  monies.  Even  at 
present  the  Bishops  can  hardly  be  described  in  the 
language  which  was  applied  to  the  Master — "  The 
foxes  ha\'e  holes,  the  birds  of  the  air  have  nests,  but 
the  Son  of  Man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head  " — 
for  the  salary  of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbur}-  is 
^15,000,  and  that  of  the  Archbishop  of  York  ^10,- 
000  ;  the  Bishop  of  London  has  /"  10,000,  the  Bishop 


CriURC/l  AXD  STATE.  I03 

of  Dm  ham  ^S,ooo,  the  Bishop  of  Winchester  i!^7,ooo, 
and,  all  things  inchided,  probabl}'  no  Bishop  receives 
much  less  than  ^^"5,000  a  year. 

The  Ecclesiastical  Commission  is  now  a  Corpora- 
tion, made  sucli  by  Parliament.  It  is  a  State  Com- 
mission, eniraged  in  the  ser\ice  of  the  State.  It 
holds  the  church  property  and  determines  its  use. 
It  may  take  from  one  diocese,  or  one  parish,  which 
it  regards  as  too  highly  endowed,  such  property  as 
it  ma}'  choose  and  bestow  it  upon  those  which  are 
more  need)', — surely  a  wise  provision,  although  a 
civil  function. 

That  peculiarity  of  the  Church  of  England  which 
most  unpleasantly  impresses  an  American  is  "  pat- 
ronage," or  the  right  held  by  certain  favoured  per- 
sons, not  necessaril)-  Christians,  of  determining  who 
shall  hold  the  ministerial  office  in  various  parishes. 
"  The  right  of  the  Crown  to  nominate  to  episcopal 
sees  and  other  dignities,  is,  apparently,  made  to  rest 
on  the  same  foundation  as  the  right  of  lords  of 
manors  to  nominate  to  lesser  benefices;  namel}', 
that  the  founder,  in  the  first  instance,  was  the  patron, 
and  that  the  right  to  present  ought  to  descend  to 
his  successors  and  heirs.      Such  is  the  legal  theory."* 

Originally,  patronage  possessed  no  mone}-  value, 
but  in  process  of  time  positions  in  the  Church 
became  articles  of  merchandise,  and  are  even  ad- 
vertised, and  sold  in  the  auction-room.  Simon)-,  or 
*  "  The  Case  for  Disestablishment,"  p.  S2. 


104  ^-^^^  PILGRIM  LY  OLD  ENGLAND, 

the  sale  of  livings,  became  so  great  an  evil  that 
severe  measures  were  taken  against  it.  As  early 
as  1603  persons  appointed  to  "  livings  "  were  re- 
quired to  make  oath  that  they  had  not  bought 
them,  and  in  1865  to  make  declaration  that  they 
had  neither  directly  nor  indirectly  done  anything 
simoniacal  in  obtaining  their  preferment.  And  yet 
the  trafific  goes  on,  and,  in  spite  of  efTorts  at  reform, 
patronage  is  sold  like  any  other  possession.  It  has 
been  estimated  that  there  are  about  thirteen  thou- 
sand livings  in  the  Church  of  England,  and  that  of 
this  number  seven  thousand  nine  hundred  are  sale- 
able. The  effect  of  such  a  system  on  both  churches 
and  ministers  needs  no  description.  Ministers  who 
secure  positions  by  such  methods  stultify  their  con- 
sciences, and  if  not  absolutely  untruthful,  indulge 
in  mental  reservations  destructive  of  honesty  and 
moral  earnestness  ;  while  it  is  impossible  for  people 
ministered  to  by  such  pastors  to  have  confidence  in 
either  their  moral  earnestness  or  their  [^integrity. 
Against  this  evil  Bishops  have  thundered  and  laws 
have  been  enacted,  but  it  still  flourishes.  When 
noblemen,  conspicuously  vicious,  have  it  in  their 
power  to  name  vicars  who  will  have  the  spiritual 
care  of  tens  of  thousands  of  souls,  what  can  be  ex- 
pected except  that  the  owners  will  dispose  of  this 
property  in  a  way  that  will  enable  them  to  grat- 
ify their  evil  tendencies,  since  they  use  all  their 
other  wealth  in  that  way?     Patronage  injures  both 


CHURCH  AXD  STATE.  I05 

the  niinistr}'  and  tlic  people.  In  a  large  cit}'  of  the 
Midlands  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  churches  in 
England,  situated  in  the  heart  of  a  dense  and  terri- 
bly need)'  population.  It  ought  to  be  a  source  of 
blessing  to  thousands.  But  the  people  to  be 
reached  ha\e  no  part  in  deciding  who  shall  be  their 
minister;  neither  has  the  English  Church  as  a 
spiritual  body,  for  it  is  powerless  either  to  nominate 
or  remove.  The  right  to  select  is  in  the  liands  of 
a  nobleman,  living  at  a  distance,  who  has  neither 
sympath)'  with  the  people  nor  care  for  them,  and  who 
gives  little  evidence  of  being  influenced,  in  making  his 
appointments  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church,  by  mo- 
tives other  than  such  as  will  enable  him  best  to 
realise  his  own  selfish  ends.  If  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land were  independent,  and  could  legislate  for  her- 
self, such  abuses  would  disappear.  But  it  is  part 
of  the  civil  order,  and  in  determining  its  policy  the 
Bishops  are  almost  as  powerless  as  the  people. 

Subscription  to  the  Articles  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  to  the  Prayer-Book,  was  formerly  a 
condition  of  holding  public  ofifice,  of  entering  the 
Universities,  and  of  receiving  degrees  from  them. 
The  constitutional  status  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, however,  has  been  considerably  affected  by 
various  measures  passed  since  the  Restoration  ;  the 
chief  of  these  being  the  Toleration  Act  of  William 
and  Mary,  1C89,  the  Roman  Catholic  Emancipation 
Act,   1829,   the    Jewish    Disabilities    Removal    Act, 


I06  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

1858,  and  the  Abolition  of  University  Tests,  1870. 
Formerly,  subscription  to  the  doctrinal  and  ecclesi- 
astical formulse  of  the  Church  of  England  was  a 
condition  of  entering  Parliament,  but  that  is  no 
longer  the  case.  Not  until  1828  was  the  Act 
passed  repealing  previous  laws  which  imposed  the 
necessity  of  receiving  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  as  a  qualification  for  certain  oflfices  and 
endowments.  Not  until  1829  could  Roman  Catho- 
lics sit  in  either  House  of  Parliament.  Not  until 
1858  could  Jews  be  admitted  to  Parliament.  Not 
until  1866  did  it  become  unnecessary  to  make  and 
subscribe  certain  declarations  concerning  religion  as 
a  qualification  for  ofifice.  Not  until  1869  were  the 
governing  bodies  of  Grammar  Schools  opened  to  all 
denominations.  Not"  until  1870  were  the  Univer- 
sities of  Oxford,  Cambridge  and  Durham  freely 
accessible  to  the  nation.  Not  until  1880  were  ser- 
vices other  than  those  of  the  Church  of  England 
permitted  in  parochial  church-yards,  and  conse- 
crated portions  of  cemeteries.  And  not  until  1882 
were  Headships  and  Fellowships  at  Oxford  and 
Cambridge  Universities  freed  from  clerical  restric- 
tions. Religious  tests  for  public  office,  and  public 
honour,  have  now  been  very  generally  abolished. 
The  only  honour  which  is  still  restricted  to  the  Church 
is  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity,  which  is  never 
by  English  institutions  conferred  upon  any  who  are 


CHURCH  Axn  state.  107 

not  members  of  the  EstablisliinciU.  ••■  All  Xoncuii- 
formists  who  have  received  recognition  for  distin- 
guished ability  and  achievement  in  theology  have 
received  it  from  Scotland,  Germany  or  the  United 
States. 

This  study  of  the  relations  between  Church  and 
State  has  disclosed  a  condition  which  is  anything  but 
satisfactory  to  those  who  live  where  an  established 
Church  is  unknown.  Theoretically,  we  may  grant 
that  Church  and  State  should  be  one.  That  is  but 
sa}'ing  that  the  distinction  between  sacred  and  secu- 
lar should  disappear.  Voting  is  as  holy  a  service  as 
pra)'ing ;  the  discharge  of  obligations  to  the  State  is 
as  important  and  as  sacred  as  the  performance  of 
duties  required  by  the  Church.  But  wherever  the 
Church  and  State  have  been  united,  corruption  and 
injustice  have  prevailed.  It  has  been  so  in  France 
and  Spain,  as  well  as  in  England.  There  are  no 
darker  pages  in  French  history  than  the  persecution 
of  the  Huguenots;  nothing  more  disre})utable  in  the 
world's  histor\-  than  ihc  attempt  of  Spain  to  secure 
uniformit)'  in  religicnis  thought  and  conduct  among 
her  people.  And  English  histor}-,  from  the  da}'s  of 
l)oadicea  to  Victoria,  records  no  acts  more  disgrace- 
ful than  those  by  which  the  dominant  power  in  the 
State  has  attempted  to  enforce  uniformity  of  relig- 

*  Whether  the  degree  could  be  conferred  on  any  other  than  an 
Episcopalian,  providing  he  were  a  resident  of  another  country,  I 
do  not  know. 


I08  THE  PILGRIM  IX  OLD  EXGLAND. 

ious  thought  and  life.  When  humanity  is  perfect,  the 
Church  and  the  State  may  be  one ;  until  that  day 
they  must  be  independent.  They  cannot  be  coordi- 
nate, for  in  the  nature  of  things  the  State  must  always 
be  supreme  in  general  legislation  and  control.  It 
may,  nevertheless,  allow,  as  wise  States  always  do, 
the  utmost  liberty  of  thought,  worship,  education, 
and  the  promulgation  of  opinion,  so  long  as  there  is 
no  interference  with  the  common  weal. 

The  Establishment,  as  such,  has  been  a  failure  in 
England.  The  glorious  results  which  have  been 
achieved  by  the  Anglican  Church,  have  been  in 
spite  of,  rather  than  because  of,  its  union  with  the 
State.  Its  aim  is  to  secure  uniformity,  both  in 
belief  and  in  worship,  but  there  is  as  great  diversity 
in  doctrine  and  liturgy  in  the  English  Church  as 
among  Nonconformists.  There  is  more  diversity 
between  the  High  Church  party  and  the  Low  and 
Broad  Church  parties,  than  between  Congregational- 
ists  and  Baptists.  Among  its  adherents  every 
phase  of  religious  opinion  is  tolerated,  and  almost 
all  diversities  of  worship.  The  Establishment  has 
failed  in  reaching  the  masses,  for  there  are  more 
Christians  in  England  outside  of  the  Establishment 
than  within  it,  and  the  number  of  those  who  are 
non-attendants,  both  at  church  and  at  chapel,  is  so 
great  as  to  deprive  the  champions  of  the  Establish- 
ment of  any  ground  of  confidence  in  their  system. 
The  Establishment  is  a  failure  as  a  means  of  pre- 


cnuKcif  A.yn  statf..  109 

serving  the  unity  of  the  faith.  A  church  which 
has  had  in  its  ministry  within  the  hast  half  century 
men  of  such  contradictoiy  teachings  as  Pusey  and 
Maurice,  Kingsley  and  Kcblc,  Ilaweis  and  Dean 
Burgon,  can  lay  little  claim  to  success  in  preserving 
doctrinal  purity,  for  the  differences  between  these 
schools  of  thought  are  irreconcilable. 

But  there  is  another  side  to  this  subject,  and  the 
friends  of  Voluntaryism  must  not  suppose  that  such 
broad  and  earnest  men  as  Maurice  and  Robertson, 
Kingsley,  Stanley  and  Farrar  are  loyal  members  of 
the  Church  of  England  without  good  reason.  They 
believe  that  the  system,  freed  from  its  impurities  and 
excrescences,  is  best  adapted  to  reach  the  whole 
people;  that  only  a  State  Church  can  be  large 
enough  to  include  all  diversities  of  thought  and 
life,  and  that  loyalty  to  principle  requires  them  to 
maintain  that  the  State  ought  to  bear  witness  to  its 
faith.  Their  ideal  of  the  Church  is  as  broad  as 
humanity,  and  has  a  place  for  all  differences  which 
are  found  in  the  State.* 

It  is  argued,  furthermore,  that  only  a  State 
Church  can  provide  for  the  religious  training  of  all 
the  people :  and  there  is  reason  for  this  contention. 
The  traveller,  whether  he  be  among  the  bleak  and 
barren  hills  of  Wales,  the  smoke  of  the  Black  Coun- 
try, or  the  luxuriance  of  Devonshire,  is  impressed 
by  no  fact  more  than  that  everywhere  he  finds  the 

*  Gladstone,  Contemporary  Rcvtc-t',  July,  1875. 


no  THE  PILGRIM  IX  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Parisli  Church.  And  those  churches  are  not  little 
boxes  built  for  a  day,  as  if  they  were  intended  to 
fall  down,  but  are,  usually,  large  and  architecturally 
imposing.  Their  walls  are  covered  with  ivy,  which 
has  been  growing  for  centuries,  and  every  pillar, 
every  foot  of  the  pavement,  every  window,  yellow 
as  gold  or  red  as  blood  in  the  setting  sun,  is  made 
sacred  by  memories  which  have  been  growing  in  that 
parish  for  generations.  Around  those  churches  the 
dead  are  buried ;  within  them  are  recorded  the 
heroic  actions  of  those  who  at  home  and  abroad,  in 
science,  religion  and  war,  have  done  their  part  in 
helping  to  make  England  great.  If  the  parish  sys- 
tem were  properly  operated,  I  can  see  no  reason 
why  the  whole  people  should  not  be  reached  and 
evangelised.  A  large  and  beautiful  church  in  every 
parish,  and  the  parishes  arranged  so  as  to  preclude 
conflict,  is  surely  desirable,  and  under  any  other 
system  hardly  attainable.  The  union  of  the  Church 
with  the  State  has  been  a  blessing  in  providing 
religious  privileges  for  the  people,  but  it  has  been 
connected  with  so  many  abuses,  and  has  been  so 
unfortunately  operated,  that  its  excellences  have 
been  weakened  or  destroyed.  If  the  State,  without 
injustice  to  any,  could  provide  houses  of  worship, 
and  make  it  impossible  for  the  crudities  and  puerili- 
ties of  individuals  to  raise  unseemly  competition 
and  controversy  in  things  ecclesiastical,  and  then 
leave  the  administration  of  its  affairs   to  the  spirit- 


cffVRcrr  AXD  sta  te.  i  i  r 

ual  body,  the  history  of  the  Church  in  future 
would  record  a  constant  series  of  victories. 

There  is,  furthermore,  an  unquestioned  advantage 
in  general  uniformity  of  worship  as  observed  in  the 
English  Church.  Every  small  town,  and  country 
district,  has  the  same  ritual  that  thrills  and  inspires, 
comforts  and  delights,  those  who  have  large  wealth 
or  fine  culture  in  cities  and  university  towns.  Even 
when  the  preaching  is  poor,  the  lessons  and  the 
prayers,  the  litany  and  the  hymns,  never  fail  to  stim- 
ulate Christian  thought,  and  fittingly  to  express  the 
devotion  of  those  who  desire  either  to  praise  or  to 
pray. 

Precisely  because  the  Establishment  has  not  been 
administered  in  a  large  and  liberal  way  ;  because 
it  has  sought  an  impossible  uniformity ;  because 
it  has  been  managed  in  the  interest  of  selfish  and 
vicious  rulers  ;  because  it  has  been  the  pliant  tool 
of  those  whom  it  ought  remorselessly  to  have  con- 
demned ;  because  it  has  ground  the  faces  of  the 
poor,  the  Nonconformist  denominations  have  had 
reason  for  their  existence  and  been  hastened  in  their 
growth.  The  Church  of  England,  while  larger  than 
any  other  sect  in  the  Kingdom,  is  considerably 
smaller  than  the  various  Nonconformist  bodies 
united.  The  latter,  however,  are  hardh'  more 
divided  than  the  Establishment.  Of  the  Dissent- 
ing denominations  the  oldest,  and  by  far  the  most 


112  THE  riLGKIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

influential,  is  the  Congregational,  althougli  the 
Wesleyan  has  already  surpassed  it  in  numbers,  and 
is  rapidly  approaching  it  in  influencCo  The  third 
in  size  and  importance  among  the  Nonconformists 
is  the  Baptist.  The  Presbyterians,  the  Unitarians, 
the  Quakers,  all  have  more  or  less  local  strength, 
as  have  also  numerous  smaller  branches  of  the  great 
Methodist  communion. 

Until  1870,  Nonconformists  were  excluded  from 
the  Universities.  As  a  consequence  England  is 
dotted  with  Nonconformist  colleges  and  seminaries. 
Now  that  the  Universities  are  opened  it  is  felt  that 
these  colleges  are  too  numerous,  and  a  movement 
has  been  started  for  their  consolidation. 

One  peculiarity  of  the  Nonconformists  in  England, 
necessitated  by  the  fact  that  there  is  a  State  Church, 
is  that  even  their  religious  life  has  a  political  bias. 
They  have  a  double  work :  they  bear  witness  to 
their  loyalty  to  Christ,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
their  faith  that  Christ's  Church  should  be  free. 
The  strength  of  the  Liberal  Party  is  in  Noncon- 
formity. Mr.  Gladstone's  warmest  supporters  and 
most  trusted  advisers  are  many  of  them  Congrega- 
tional ministers,  and  men  like  Drs.  Dale  and  Allon 
and  Mr.  Guinness  Rogers,  at  times  have  largely 
helped  to  determine  his  policy.  This  political  el- 
ement in  the  Churches  tends  somewhat  toward  the 
secularisation  of  their  methods.  Those  who  are 
engrossed  with  political  questions  seldom  have  quite 


CHI  -RCn  AND  S  TA  TE.  1 1 3 

SO  much  cntluisiasni  in  evangelistic  work.  That 
English  Nonconformists  arc  as  evangelistic  as  they 
are  is  a  rare  tribute  to  the  vitality  of  their  faith  ; 
and  they  are  far  more  evangelistic  than  their  breth- 
ren in  the  Church.  On  the  other  hand,  opposition 
develops  strength,  and  there  is  a  rugged  earnest- 
ness among  Nonconformists  which  no  doubt  is 
largely  the  result  of  the  conditions  in  which  they 
have  lived.  Their  people  are  often  narrow,  but  al- 
ways sincere.  Shut  out  from  the  Universities,  they 
have  been  compelled  to  seek  liberal  education  in 
other  ways  ;  looked  down  upon  b\'  those  in  authority, 
they  have  been  stimulated  to  prove  their  manhood 
by  the  quality  of  their  work.  Social  distinctions  and 
emoluments  belong  to  the  Church.  It  is  rich,  and 
its  services  are  practicalh'  free.  The  Dissenters 
have  to  bear  their  proportion  in  the  support  of  the 
State  and  consequently  to  do  somewhat  toward 
supporting  the  State  Church,  and  in  addition  to 
build  and  sustain  their  own  churches.  Those 
who  at  such  cost  remain  true  to  their  principles 
are  strong  men,  and  strong  men  usually  bequeath 
more  or  less  of  their  characteristics  to  their  chil- 
dren. The  great  middle  class,  "  the  bone  and 
sinew  "  of  Great  Britain,  are  chicfl}'  in  the  ranks  of 
Nonconformity. 

The  theory  that  the  State  and  Church  should 
be  one  body  is  a  beautiful  one,  and  we  may  be- 
lieve  t'liat   it  will  be  realised  some   da)' ;    but    that 


I  14  THE  FJLGKIM  IN  OLD  EXGLAND. 

day  is  far  in  the  future.  Not  until  the  Lord 
is  enthroned  in  the  hearts  of  His  people  will 
those  worthy  to  rule  in  the  Church  be  called  to 
positions  of  responsibility  in  tlie  State.  A  Theo- 
cratic State  is  certainly  very  near  to  the  New 
Testament  ideal  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  ;  but  the 
world  is  not  ready  for  it  yet,  and  thus  far  every  at- 
tempt in  that  direction  has  been  a  dismal  failure. 
The  Hebrews  tried  it,  and  failed.  The  moment  the 
Church  in  Europe  was  absorbed  by  the  Empire  it 
began  to  deteriorate.  The  Roman  Catholics  tried 
to  unite  the  Church  and  the  State  by  making  the 
Church  supreme,  and  they  have  disastrously  failed. 
Calvin  tried  to  revive  the  Hebrew  ideal,  and  he  also 
failed.  The  English  Establishment  has  reversed 
the  process,  and  is  attempting  to  secure  unity  by 
making  the  State  supreme,  but  with  no  better  suc- 
cess. Every  other  experiment  in  the  same  line  has 
proved  that  spiritual  life  grows  more  vigorously 
and  beautifully  where  it  is  independent  of  civil 
authority.  The  fundamental  idea  of  Christianity  is 
that  each  individual  may  come  into  personal  and 
vital  contact  with  the  Supreme  Spirit.  Union  of 
the  Church  with  the  State  presumes  that  the  State 
is  superior  to  the  individual  conscience,  even  in 
matters  of  religion.  Until  all  are  Christian  the  State 
must  be  composed  of  many  not  Christian,  and  who 
have  an  equal  right  with  those  who  acknowledge 
the  leadership  of  Christ  in  determining  the  nature 


CnCKCll  AXD  STA  TE.  I  I  5 

and  atlmiiiislratit)!!  of  political  institutions.  Their 
right  is  inalienable.  ])Ut  there  is  an  inherent  con- 
tradiction in  the  idea  that  those  who  arc  "worldly, 
sensual,  devilish,"  should  have  a  voice  in  decid- 
ing what  Christians  must  believe,  in  what  forms 
they  must  worship,  and  by  what  methods  they 
should  do  their  work.  .\s  men  now  arc,  the  union  of 
Church  and  State  results  in  the  weakeninc;  of  both. 
This  fact  is  becoming  increasingly  evident.  The 
recent  discussions  in  I'^rance  have  shown  that  the 
French  people  are  nearly  ready  for  the  separation 
which  must  inevitably  come.  The  history  of  relig- 
ion in  America,  where  the  Voluntary  principle  has 
prevailed  almost  from  the  first,  has  proved  that  as 
fine  and  vital  a  type  of  piety  is  developed  without 
State  aid  as  where  its  riches  and  authority  support 
the  Church.  And,  even  in  the  English  Establish- 
ment, prophetic  spirits  arc  already  beginning  to  rec- 
ognise that  Disestablishment  is  only  a  question  of 
time,  and  not  altogether  undesirable. 

And  this  leads  to  the  question,  Is  Disestablish- 
ment in  England  probable  ?  It  has  been  hindered 
by  many  influences.  The  "  Evangelical  Revival," 
the  indirect  influence  of  Nonconformity,  the  diffusion 
of  High  Church  principles,  a  growing  sense  of  respon- 
sibility for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  nation,  and, 
most  of  all,  a  far  higher  standard  of  Christian  life 
among  the  leaders  in  the  Church,  have  combined  to 
delay  the  separation   of  Church    and    State.      The 


I  16  THE  PILGRIM  LV  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Church  formerly  was  used  as  a  kind  of  as)'lum  for  the 
younger  sons  of  the  nobih't}'  ;  and  many  who  had  no 
other  outlook  for  a  support  in  life  were  snugly,  and 
often  luxuriously,  provided  for  in  the  priesthood 
without  much  regard  to  their  moral  character  or 
spiritual  efficiency.  In  this  way  there  came  into  the 
Church  incapacity,  unspirituality,  neglect,  vice,  and 
— what  it  is  impossible  for  any  genuine  man  to  rec- 
oncile with  common  honesty— traffic  in  sermons.  If 
the  pulpit  of  the  Established  Church  had  been  oc- 
cupied by  men  worthy  of  their  places  the  disheart- 
ening revelations  of  the  last  few  years,  the  facts  of 
which  can  be  learned  by  reading  the  church  papers 
— that  ministers  buy  and  sell  sermons,  using  them 
as  if  they  were  their  own — -would  not  only  never 
have  come  to  the  light,  but  never  have  existed. 
The  traffic  in  sermons,  the  traffic  in  livings,  and 
the  misuse  of  the  endowments  which  belong  to  cer- 
tain departments  of  the  Church,  opened  the  eyes 
of  the  people,  and  those  who  honestly  believed 
in  the  Establishment  went  to  work  with  a  will 
for  its  reformation.  A  more  wonderful  change 
than  that  in  the  English  Church  during  the  last 
quarter  of  a  century  can  hardly  be  found  in  ecclesi- 
astical history.  The  qualit}'  of  its  ministry  has  im- 
proved. Its  pulpits  are  now  largel}^  occupied  by 
earnest,  aggressive  and  spiritual  men.  Prophetic 
spirits  have  arisen  \\\\o  have  not  hesitated  to  de- 
nounce abuses  with  an   intensity  worthy  of  the  an- 


CHURCH  AA'D  STA  TE.  I  I  7 

cient  prophets.  I  have  heard  Canon  Farrar,  ap- 
peaHng  to  the  nobiHty  of  England,  call  them  to 
witness  that  if  they  did  not  change  their  manner 
of  living  their  memories  would  be  as  foul  as  those 
of  their  ancestors  who  were  buried  in  the  grand  old 
Abbey  in  which  he  was  preaching.  Such  preachers 
with  lofty  ideals  of  the  Church  and  of  the  minis- 
ter's vocation,  have  wrought  a  marvellous  change, 
and  have  delayed  the  inevitable  separation. 

But  in  our  day  the  agitators  are  not  simply  Dis- 
senters. Many  of  the  most  intense  and  eager  Epis- 
copalians clearly  see  that  Disestablishment  is  sure 
to  come  in  time.  The  High  Church  party  is  restive 
under  the  dominance  of  Parliament,  and  with  it  are 
found  also  men,  professing  no  religion,  who  see 
the  incongruity  of  the  alliance  and  its  injustice  to 
other  denominations.  The  present  Archbishop  of 
York,  Dr.  McLagan,  when  he  was  liishop  of  Lich- 
field, is  reported  to  have  said  that  the  Church  rec- 
oc^nised  the  authority  of  the  Crown  and  would  be 
loyal  to  it,  but  as  to  the  authority  of  Parliament, 
that  was  a  very  different  thing.  High  Church 
men  are  rising  to  the  conception  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  their  only  Lord,  and  that  for  unworthy  and  unbe- 
lieving men  to  presume  to  dictate  how  they  shall 
worship,  and  how  they  shall  work,  is  a  species  of 
tyranny  not  much  longer  to  be  endured.  Even 
John  Henry  Newman,  before  he  became   a   Roman 


1 18  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Catholic,  saw  that  Disestablishment  was  inevitable, 
and  declared  that  he  welcomed  its  approach.  * 

The  greatest  difficulty  in  the  way  of  Disestab- 
lishment seems  to  be  in  determining  what  is  to  be 
done  with  the  cathedrals  and  the  endowments.  It 
is  maintained  on  the  one  hand  that  both  belong  to 
the  State,  and  should  be  given  to  the  State  ;  that 
the  Voluntary  system  should  be  rigorously  applied 
to  all  denominations ;  that  the  cathedrals  should  be 
used  impartially,  or,  as  some  maintain,  should  be 
secularised,  or  be  assigned  to  those  churches  which 
may  be  able  to  purchase  them.  There  are  un- 
doubtedly questions  of  detail,  difficult  of  adjustment, 
in  the  solution  of  this  part  of  the  problem.  For 
myself,  however,  I  can  see  no  reason  why  the  Non- 
conformists should  not,  gladly,  unite  in  a  declara- 
tion that  the  cathedrals  had  best  always  remain  in 
the  hands  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  Its  service 
alone  is  adapted  to  them  ;  and  its  organisation  em- 
braces them.  They  would  be  of  no  benefit  to 
others,  and  if  the  Church  was  once  disestablished 
the  cathedrals  would  no  longer  be,  as  they  are  now, 
used  chiefly  for  an  elect  few,  or  for  special  spectac- 
ular services,  but  would  become  the  meeting  and 
rallying  points  of  great  religious  movements  which 
would  start  under  the  influence  of  the  Voluntary 
principle.     As  to   the  endowments,  that  is  a  ques- 

*  See  the   Monograph  on  J.  H.   Newman  by  his  brother,  F.  W. 

Newman. 


CIIUKCII  AXD  STATE.  I  IQ 

tion  which  had  best  be  left  for  adjustment  until 
after  the  main  principle  involved  has  been  settled. 

The  Nonconformists  and  the  agents  of  the  Liber- 
ation Society  are  regarded  by  some  as  prophets  of 
discord,  ministers  of  dissension  and  strife,  enemies 
of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  They  are  rather  the  proph- 
ets of  the  only  principle  by  which  the  Kingdom  of 
God  in  England  can  be  realised.  They  are  better 
friends  of  the  Church  than  are  the  advocates  of 
Establishment  for  when  it  is  separated  from  the 
State  there  will  probably  be  the  greatest  addition  to 
the  Episcopal  Church  which  has  ever  been  know  n  in 
its  history.  The  English  people  are  devoted  to  their 
venerable  institutions.  Many  who  are  loyal  Dissent- 
ers love  the  Anglican  ritual,  and  delight  in  the  Epis- 
copal organisation.  Separate  Church  and  State,  and, 
if  the  evangelical  rather  than  the  sacerdotal  party  is 
dominant  in  its  affairs,  the  chief  reason  for  Dissent 
will  disappear.  I  am  neither  a  prophet  nor  the  son 
of  a  prophet,  but  I  am  willing  to  predict  that  when 
the  day  comes,  as  come  it  will,  in  which  there  shall 
be  separation  between  the  spiritual  and  the  civil 
powers  in  England,  there  will  be  such  a  movement 
from  the  chapels  to  the  churches  as  has  never  \-et 
been  seen.  Disestablishment  will  be  the  beginning 
of  power  for  the  Episcopalian  Church  in  Great  Brit- 
ain. 

One  by  one  the  bands  that  bind  the  Church  and 
the   State  together  are  being  broken.      The   Irish 


120  THE  PILGRIM  IX  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Church  is  practically  free.  It  cannot  be  long  before 
there  will  be  Disestablishment  both  in  Scotland 
and  Wales.  Welsh  Disestablishment  is  the  second 
clause  in  the  present  Liberal  programme,  and  the  first 
steps  towards  the  carrying  out  of  that  part  of  the 
programme  have  already  been  taken.  When  Mr. 
Gladstone  passes  away  many  will  lift  Disestablish- 
ment to  the  front  who  are  unwilling  to  do  so  during 
his  life.  If  he  had  fifty  years  more  of  active  service, 
probably  he  himself,  notwithstanding  his  early  con- 
servatism on  this  subject,  would  be  a  leader  in  the 
Free  Church  crusade.  But  he  is  too  old  to  become 
the  champion  of  new  issues  beyond  the  great  one 
in  which  he  is  now  so  energetically  engaged — the 
securing  of  Home  Rule  for  Ireland. 

A  few  years  have  witnessed  many  revolutions 
in  England.  The  ballot  is  now  in  the  hands  of 
the  people.  Education  is  free  and  universal.  With 
a  free  press,  a  free  ballot,  free  schools,  there  need 
be  only  a  free  church  to  make  England  as  free  a 
nation  as  the  sun  shines  upon.  However  long  the 
struggle  may  continue,  there  is  reason  for  thank- 
fulness that  it  is  not  developing  serious  acrimony 
and  strife,  but  greater  activity  and  more  splendid 
consecration.  While  the  Anglican  Church  is  now 
devoted  to  the  advancement  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God  at  home  and  abroad,  in  city  and  country, 
among  rich  and  poor ;  while  she  has  such  noble  and 
honoured  men  in  her  conspicuous  places,  multitudes 


CHURCH  AND  ST  A  TE.  I  2  I 

are  more  anxious  to  add  to  her  efficiency  than  to 
expose  her  weakness.  In  due  time  Disestabhsh- 
mcnt  will  be  realised,  but  unless  all  signs  fail  it 
will  come  at  last  hardly  more  because  of  agitation 
from  without  than  as  tiie  result  of  the  development 
of  a  truer  spiritual  life  within. 


IV. 
THE  PRESENT   CONDITION. 


"  A  Church  is  an  association  of  the  friends  and  followers  of  Ciui>t 
for  the  profession  of  Christian  faith,  and  the  performance  of  Chris- 
tian duty." — Dr.  Henry  M.  Dexter. 

"  Congregationalism  is  an  ideal  polity.  This  is  at  once  its  reproacli 
and  its  glory.  The  transcendent  prerogatives  and  powers  which  it 
claims  for  the  Church  lie  beyond  the  reach  of  Christian  communities 
which  are  not  completely  penetrated  and  transfigured  by  the  spirit  of 
Christ.  But  as  churches  approach  more  and  more  nearly  to  the 
perfection  to  which  Christ  has  called  them,  their  authority  becomes 
more  and  more  august,  and  they  enter  more  and  more  fully  into  the 
possession  of  the  blessedness  which  is  their  inheritance  in  Him." — 
Dr.  R.  W.  Dale. 

"  In  the  speculative  delineations  of  this  system  there  is  something, 
to  a  free  and  generous  mind,  extremely  fascinating.  It  supposes  the 
existence  of  a  virtuous  brotherhood,  confederated  for  the  sublimest 
purposes,  and  acknowledging  an  almost  universal  equality  of  rights 
and  privileges." — Thomas  Bin.ney. 

"  If  I  might  add  a  word  on  an  immediately  related  questit)n,  it 
would  be  to  the  effect  that  our  evangelism  is  in  danger  of  devoting 
its  energies  almost  exclusively  to  know  what  is  known  as  '  the 
masses.'  I  must  protest  against  this  contraction,  on  the  ground  that 
it  is  as  unjust  to  Christianity  as  it  is  blind  to  the  evidence  of  facts." 
— Dr.  Joseph  Parker. 


IV. 
THE  PRESENT  CONDITION. 

Ecclesiastical  systems,  like  individuals,  to  be 
understood  should  be   studied   in   relation   to   their 
heredity  and  environment.     All  the  Free  Churches 
of  England  are  materially  affected  by  their  noncon- 
formity.    A  distinguished    English  Congregational- 
ist,  when  asked  concerning  his  impressions  of  relig- 
ious life  in  the  United  States,  replied  that  his  f^rst 
feeling  was  one  of  relief  because  he  was  in  a  country 
where  he  was  no    longer  looked    down   upon  as  a 
Dissenter.     Congregationalists,    Baptists,    Presbyte- 
rians,   Methodists,   and  even  Roman    Catholics,  in 
England  are  all  "  Dissenters,"  although  by  the  Act 
of  Toleration  they  are  recognised   as  having  a  legal 
right  to  exist.     The  State,  however,  knows  but  one 
Church,  and   dissent  carries  with  it  more  or  less  of 
the  taint  of  conceit  and  narrowness.     It  is  therefore 
important  to  remember  that  Independency  in  Eng- 
land, in    its  worship,  theology,  preaching,  benevo- 
lences, is  modified  by  its  rebtion  to  the  predominant 
State  Church.     It  is  a  child  of  struggle  and  of  war. 


126  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

It  had  its  birth  in  the  stormy  thn's  wliich  preceded 
the  Puritan  Revolution.  Grim  heroes  like  Cromwell 
stood  sponsors  when  it  received  its  baptism  of 
blood.  Those  whose  opinions  are  developed  in 
persecution  cling  to  them  with  a  tenacity  and  inten- 
sity unknown  in  calmer  times.  The  descendants  of 
such  people  do  not  easily  lose  the  qualities  which 
were  developed  by  the  struggles  through  which 
their  ancestors  passed.  A  study  of  the  heredity 
which  has  culminated  in  the  English  Congregation- 
alism of  to-day  helps  material!}'  to  account  for  its 
characteristic  qualities  and  principles. 

No  man  antagonises  public  opinion  and  existing 
institutions  when  there  is  nothing  to  gain,  and 
everything  but  the  consciousness  of  being  right  to 
lose,  unless  he  is  impelled  by  faith  in  a  divine  call. 
The  early  Separatists  believed  that  Christ  was  the 
sole  Lord  of  the  conscience  and  the  Church  ;  and 
that  each  individual  was  responsible  to  his  Master 
alone  for  his  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  and  for 
his  individual  conduct.  They  believed  that  the 
Papacy  was  the  impersonation  of  Anti-Christ,  and  if 
they  carried  their  opposition  to  the  extreme  it  was 
because  they  were  convinced  that  it  was  a  sin  to 
make  compromises  with  a  Church  which  arrogated 
to  itself  claims  which  were  both  unscriptural  and 
morally  pernicious.  That  reverence  for  liberty  and 
for  the  leadership  of  Jesus  Christ  ;  that  sense  of 
personal  dependence  upon  the  Spirit   of  God  ;  that 


THE  PK/ISFAT  COX/)/'770y.  12/ 


faith  in  ihc  Si)iiit's  illumination,  and  the  consequent 
liostility  to  all  attempts  at  dictation  from  the  State, 
which  distinguish  the  present  generation  of  Non- 
conformists, are  a  heritage  from  their  fathers.  An 
English  Churchman  is  attached  to  the  service  of 
his  Church,  and  feels  that  worship  for  him  is  im- 
possible except  through  its  impressive  forms.  In 
the  same  way  English  Independents  believe  that 
acceptable  worship  and  service  are  inextricably  as- 
sociated with  those  great  principles  df  intellectual 
and  spiritual  liberty  for  which  their  fathers  died,  and 
the  defence  of  which  has  been  handed  down  to  them 
as  a  sacred  obh'gation. 

The  influence  of  environment  in  the  development 
of  Nonconformit}-  is  also  equalh'  evident.  In  Eng- 
land the  ro}-alty  and  nobility  are  almost  all  in  the 
Establishment.  Not  yet  has  Dissent  ceased  to  be  a 
reproach.  Nonconformist  ministers  are  made  to 
feel  that  they  are  endured  rather  than  approved  by 
the  State.  The  Cathedrals,  the  ecclesiastical  endow- 
ments. Universities,  Parish  Churches  and  the  great 
schools,  are  in  the  hands  of  the  State  Church. 

Onl}'  recently  have  even  the  newspapers  begun 
to  pay  attention  to  services  in  "  dissenting  chapels." 
Nearly  all  the  London  dailies  almost  ignore  Non- 
conformist assemblies.  The  Times,  The  Standard, 
The  Telegraph,  have  notices  of  proposed  services 
in  the  Established  Churches,  but  only  The  Daily 
Meivs  finds  much  space  for  those  in  Nonconform- 


128  THE  riLGR[.\r  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

ist  chapels.*  Newspapers  reflect  popular  sentiment. 
In  the  Provinces,  however,  many  of  the  great  dailies 
are  conducted  by  Dissenters.  The  founders  of 
the  three  principal  papers  in  Yorkshire  were  Non- 
conformists, 7^/^ : — Baines,  of  The  Leeds  Mercury; 
Leader,  of  The  Sheffield  Independent,  and  Byles, 
of  The  Bradford  Observer.  Until  1870  the  Uni- 
versities were  closed  against  Nonconformists,  and 
if  their  children  were  sent  to  the  Parish  Schools 
they  were  trained  in  principles  which  were  abhor- 
rent to  their  parents.  Consequently  denomina- 
tional schools  and  colleges  were  established  solely 
because  Dissenters  could  not  patronise  institutions 
supported  by  public  funds  without  having  their 
children  indoctrinated  with  the  religious  teachings 
of  the  Established  Church. 

Enslish  Conf?refrationalists  are  the  descendants  of 
a  race  of  warriors  who  fought  valiant  battles  for 
freedom  of  conscience  and  independence  of  State 
control.  Wc  honour  the  Pilgrims  who  faced  the 
wintry  sea,  and  the  perils  of  an  unknown  continent, 
and  laid  in  New  England  the  foundations  of  a  free 
State,  but  those  Independents  who  remained  in  Old 
England,  and  held  aloft  the  banner  on  which  was 
inscribed  "  Freedom  of  Conscience  :  Freedom  of 
Worship:  PVeedom   of    Speech"  faced   trials    quite 

*This  was  written  in  iSgr.  It  is  possible  that  a  change  in  the  at- 
titude of  the  London  papers  toward  Nonconformists  may  have  been 
introduced  since  then. 


Tin-:  ruESExr  cox d max.  1 29 

as  severe  and  fought  battles  (juite  as  fierce  as 
their  brethren  who  took  refuge  in  the  New  World. 
Their  children  live  in  easier  times.  Disestablish- 
ment may  be  far  in  the  distance,  but  Dissenters  are 
now  numerous  and  influential  enough  to  compel  at- 
tention and  respect.  They  are  members  of  Parlia- 
ment, and  even  of  the  Cabinet.  In  the  municipali- 
ties— especially  in  the  North  of  England — their  en- 
terprise and  sterling  character  have  led  to  their  be- 
ing chosen  Councillors,  Aldermen,  and  Mayors,  in 
many  of  the  large  boroughs,  more  frequently  than 
Churchmen.  No  political  party  dares  to  ignore 
them.  They  have  grown  in  wealth,  education,  and 
social  position,  and  now^  can  well  afford  to  care  little 
for  sneers  and  gibes  which  are  manifestly  inspired 
by  prejudice.  Socially,  England  is  cleft  in  twain  by 
the  assumptions  and  exclusiveness  of  the  Episco- 
pal Church.  The  battle  for  freedom  of  thought 
and  worship  however  is  practically  won,  although 
much  remains  to  be  accomplished  before  the  contest 
will  be  ended. 

In  the  meantime  ecclesiastical  life  is  modified 
by  the  controversies  of  the  past,  and  by  the  relics 
of  old  struggles  which  still  remain.  Even  spiritual 
life,  as  has  before  been  observed,  is  in  many  places 
more  or  less  coloured  by  the  ever-present  political  is- 
sue of  Disestablishment.  A  Nonconformist  minister 
has  duties  which  concern  not  only  the  souls  under 
his  charge,  but  also  other  duties  arising  from  the 


I3p  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

fact  that  he  is  bound  to  protest  against  the  evils  of 
a  State  Church.  Of  course  many  successful  minis- 
ters never  trouble  themselves  with  politics  ;  but  as  a 
rule  Congregational  ministers  are  active  in  all  that 
concerns  the  welfare  both  of  the  Church  and  the 
nation.  They  are  usually  public-spirited,  and  also 
both  liberal  and  progressive.  The  Wesleyans,  with 
some  striking  exceptions,  are  much  more  absorbed 
with  the  administration  of  their  polity,  and  have 
less  time,  and  apparently  less  interest,  in  political 
affairs.  "  Clergymen  "  are  devoted  to  "  Church  " 
work — which  is  not  al\va}'s  Christian  work — and  are 
generally  both  conservative  and  exclusive. 

This  is  the  background  against  which  we  must 
study  English  Congregationalism.  In  numbers  the 
various  Methodists,  if  classed  together,  would  con- 
stitute the  largest  dissenting  denomination ;  but 
they  are  almost  hopelessly  divided,  and  at  present 
the  Congregationalists  are  second  in  numbers,  and 
far  in  advance  of  all  others  in  general  influence. 
The  members  of  their  churches  belong  to  the  great 
middle  class,  but  the  "middle  class"  in  England 
is  gradually  disappearing,  and  giving  place  to  the 
increasing  and  rising  masses  of  the  people.  While 
this  "middle  class''  is  not  what  it  was  thirty  or 
forty  years  ago,  it  still  has  in  its  hands  a  large  part 
of  the  wealth  of  the  kingdom.  It  is  composed  of 
merchants,  well-to-do  mechanics  and  manufactur- 
ers.    Many  of  the  wealthy  members   of  this   class 


THE  FKESEXT  COXDITIO.V.  13I 

have  gone  to  the  Church,  for  the  sake  of  the  so- 
cial prestige  which  it  confers.  .\  common,  if  not 
a  true,  saying  is,  "  He  has  lost  his  religion  and 
gone  to  the  Church."  The  dissenting  churches 
however  are  becoming  identified  with  the  "  masses" 
rather  than  the  "  classes,"  and  so  taking  the  lead 
in  the  new  democracy.  During  the  last  half  cen- 
tury Dissenters  have  been  able  to  secure  the  ad- 
vantages of  culture  which  before  had  been  denied 
them.  They  have  been  educated  in  their  own  schools 
and  colleges,  and  on  the  Continent.  They  were 
the  real  founders  of  the  London  Universit)%  which, 
wiiile  not  a  teaching  uni\'ersity,  is  said  to  grant 
more  degrees,  and  to  have  more  thorough  exam- 
inations for  degrees,  than  Oxford  or  Cambridge. 
In  London,  Birmingham,  Wolverhampton,  Man- 
chester, Liverpool.  Norwich,  Ph-mouth.  and  all  the 
large  cities  of  England,  Congregational  churches 
are  strong,  thoroughly  manned,  and  doing  an  ag- 
gressive work  along  both  humanitarian  and  evan- 
gelistic lines. 

The  Year  Book  of  the  Congregational  Union  of 
England  and  Wales  for  1892  furnished  the  following 
figures:  The  number  of  churches,  branch  churches, 
and  mission  stations  in  England  and  Wales,  is  4,652  ; 
the  accommodation  is  estimated  at  over  1,666,000 
sittings.  There  are  2,747  ministers  in  England  and 
Wales;  8  theological  colleges  and  seminaries  in 
England,  with    282  students  and  I'i  professors  and 


132  THE  riLGRnr  liV  OLD  EXGT.AyP. 

lecturers  ;  3  colleges  in  Wales,  with  92  students  and 
10  professors  and  lecturers.  It  is  interesting  to  com- 
pare these  figures  with  those  of  the  Congregational 
churches  in  the  United  States,  where  in  1891  there 
were  4,817  churches,  4,619  ministers,  and  506,882 
communicants.  The  number  of  communicants  in 
the  English  churches  is  not  reported.  In  that  fact 
is  an  illustration  of  the  sensitiveness  of  many  Free 
Churches,  caused  by  the  controversy  between  Church 
and  State.*  It  is  felt  that  inquiries  concerning  such 
subjects  are  an  intrusion  ;  and  that  to  give  such  in- 
formation to  a  taker  of  the  census,  is  an  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  right  of  the  State  to  enter  the 
sphere  of  religion  :  consequently  we  have  reported 
the  number  of  sittings  in  the  places  of  worship  but 
not  the  number  of  communicants.  In  England  and 
Wales  373  students  are  preparing  for  the  ministry, 
and  in  the  United  States  577.  In  England  there 
are  8  colleges  and  seminaries,  nearly  all  of  which 
are  exclusively  theological.  In  them  students  are 
usually  received  both  for  arts  and  theology,  but  in- 
struction in  the  former  is  given  in  the  Universities; 
in  the  latter  only  at  the  colleges.  In  the  United 
States  under  Congregational  auspices  there  are  7  sem- 
inaries furnishing  theological  instruction  onl}^  and 
27  colleges  with  both  classical  and  scientific  courses. 

*  An  exception  must  be  made  of  Yorksliire,  and  a  few  otlR-r 
Unions,  from  which  a  return  of  communicants  is  made.  This  sensi- 
tiveness is  said  to  be  passing  away. 


THE  PRESENT  CONDITION:  1 33 

To  the  inquii}-,  What  kind  of  \\o\V  arc  the  Eng- 
lish Congregational  churches  doing?  there  arc  four 
answers. 

First,  that  in  the  local  churches,  /.  c.  worship, 
preaching  and  teaching,  and  that  which  is  done 
through  guilds.  Christian  Endeavour  Societies,  etc. 

Second,  Foreign  Missionary  work,  which  is  con- 
ducted in  inuch  the  same  way  as  in  the  American 
churches,  b\'  voluntary  societies.  Indeed,  the  points 
of  resemblance  are  quite  remarkable.  The  Amer- 
ican Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions 
was  originally  a  union  society  in  which  various  de- 
nominations co-operated.  The  same  was  true  of 
the  London  Missionary  Society.  As  the  denomina- 
tions in  America  have  grown,  one  after  another 
withdrew  from  the  Board  to  carry  on  missionary 
work  on  denominational  lines,  until,  in  1870,  the  re- 
union of  the  Old  and  New  School  Presbyterian 
churches  occasioned  the  farther  withdrawal  of  Pres- 
byterians, and  the  Board,  with  a  few  individual 
exceptions,  was  left  in  Congregational  hands.  As 
the  result  of  a  similar  process  of  self-elimination, 
the  London  Missionary  Society  has  been  left  in  the 
hands  of  the  Congregationalists  of  England. 

Third,  the  Home  Missionai')-  work.  The  organisa- 
tion which  aids  feeble  churches,  plants  new  churches, 
and  employs  evangelists  is  called  "  The  Church 
Aid  and  Home  Missionary  Society,"  and  is  a  confed- 
eration of  all  the  Count)-   Associations.     At  present 


134  ^-^^  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  EXGLAND. 

The  C'liurch  Aid  .uul  Home  Missionary  Society- 
is  under  the  able  and  honoured  leadership  of  its  Sec- 
retary, Rev.  \V.  F.  Clarkson,  but  the  principal  work 
is  done  by  the  County  Secretaries  and  Committees. 
Chapel  Building  is  another  important  department 
of  the  general  work.  Much  is  also  accomplished 
in  the  same  direction  by  individual  churches  in 
London  and  the  Provinces,  of  which  The  Church 
Aid  and  Home  Missionary  Society  takes  no  ac- 
count. Important  churches  usually  have  their  mis- 
sion chapels  or  schools,  and  often  one  or  more  evan- 
gelists. Thj  English  system  of  missionary  work 
in  almost  all  departments  is  the  same  as  in  this 
country, — carried  on  by  means  of  local  churches  and 
voluntary  associations  of  churches  in  each  county 
and  district. 

But,  Foiirtli,  the  distinguishing  feature  of  the  mis- 
sionary activity  of  English  churches  is  to  be  found 
in  the  great  cities.  The  world  offers  no  better  illus- 
tration of  what  it  is  possible  for  Christians  to  dO' 
for  the  cities  than  is  seen  in  the  London  Congrega- 
tional Union,  or  Association,  whose  Secretary  is 
Rev.  Andrew  Mearns,  author  of  "The  Bitter  Cr}-  of 
Outcast  London."  This  Union  is  similar  to  other 
County  Associations,  and  is  confederated  with  them 
in  the  Church  Aid  Society.  "  The  Forward  Move- 
ment "  had  its  origin  in  the  publication  of  "The 
l^jittcr  Cr}',"  by  Mr.  Mearns,  which  is  not  rcmark- 
abli'  for  anything  except  its  name  and  its  fidelity  in 


THE  rRESF.XT  COXDiriOX.  135 

the  narration  of  facts.  The  London  Union  faces 
the  largest  cit}-  missionary  problem  in  the  world, 
and  "The  Bitter  Cr\'  of  Outcast  London"  was 
its  first  great  appeal  to  the  English  people.  The 
work  of  the  Union  is  manifold,  and  probably  more 
eflficient  for  the  relief  of  the  "submerged  tenth" 
than  that  of  an)-  other  single  agency,  except  pos- 
sibly, the  Salvation  Army.  Its  headquarters  are 
in  the  Memorial  Hall,  and  in  his  management  Mr. 
Mearns  displays  rare  consecration  and  the  qualities 
of  a  really  exceptional  leader.  \\\  Lontlon,  in  1891. 
there  were  under  the  care  of  this  society  180  mission- 
rooms  and  preaching  stations,  and  259  regularly  con- 
stituted churches.  This  Union,  while  not  neglecting 
East  London,  devotes  its  chief  attention  to  the 
South,  which  the  recent  investigations  of  Mr. 
Charles  Booth  have  shown  to  be  even  more  degraded 
than  the  East.  The  centre  of  its  operations  is  what 
is  known  as  the  "  Mint  District,"  in  a  hall  called 
"Collier's  Rents."  In  this  work  of  the  London 
Union  there  are  many  departments,  c.  g.:  Poor  Re- 
lief; Intelligence  Ofifices — by  which  those  out  of 
service  are  helped  to  secure  positions  ;  a  Committee 
b}-  which  those  who  have  made  a  mistake  in  com- 
ing to  the  city  are  sent  back  to  their  rural  homes  ; 
the  Boc.t  and  Shoe  Brigade — which  provides  chil- 
dren with  boots  and  shoes  in  the  winter,  so  that 
they  may  attend  the  public  schools;  the  Penny  Din- 
ner de[)artment,  through   which   those  children    who 


136  THE  PILGRTM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND, 

would  otherwise  suffer  from  hunger  are  furnished 
nutritious  meals  at  cost  price  ;  the  various  Labour 
departments,  in  which  Mr.  Mearns  anticipated  Gen- 
eral Booth  ;  the  Sunday  Morning  Breakfasts,  to  re- 
cruit which  the  streets  are  explored  by  intelligent 
and  cultured  gentlemen  after  midnight  on  Satur- 
days ;  and,  most  important  of  all,  the  distinctive!}' 
missionary  and  evangelistic  agencies.  The  various 
activities  of  the  Congregational  Union  of  London 
are  even  more  worthy  of  stud}^  by  those  seeking 
light  on  social  problems  than  Toynbee  Hall,  which 
is  much  more  widely  known. 

The  surging  tides  of  vice  and  crime,  the  over- 
crowding in  the  great  cities,  the  land  problem,  the 
ever  present  "  Cry  of  the  Children,"  the  awful  fact 
that  millions  on  that  one  little  island  are  living  in 
conditions  which  almost  touch  the  borders  of  abject 
degradation  and  starvation,  make  it  all  but  impossi- 
ble for  the  average  Christian  worker  to  devote  much 
time  to  theological  speculation  ;  and,  therefore, 
while  among  the  ministers  there  is  no  lack  of  inter- 
est in  theological  questions,  the  chief  and  most 
persistent  inquiries  are.  What  may  be  done  for  men 
in  this  life?  How'  may  the  poor  be  fed  and  the 
sick  nursed  ?  How  may  the  Church  and  the  State 
be  saved  from  the  attacks  of  vice,  ignorance  and 
crime?  Consequently,  schemes  of  missionary  ef- 
fort, and  systems  of  speculative  thought,  are  all 
coloured    by    the    social     condition    of  the    people. 


THE  PRESENT  COXDiriOA^.  137 

There  is  now  nuich  more  carncsl  attention  given  to 
questions  distinctly  theological  than  there  was  a  few 
years  ago,  but  speculation  in  England  almost  always 
has  relation  to  life.  Few  English  pastors  have 
much  interest  in  the  old  controversies  in  theology; 
they  are  so  busy  with  the  social  problems  of  to- 
day that  they  have  little  patience  with  those  who 
preach  of  the  Jews  of  ancient  times,  or  dream  of 
what  may  be  in  some  far-off  future. 

In  the  days  of  the  Commonwealth  the  Independ- 
ents were  strict  Calvinists.  In  the  present  day 
Calvinism  in  its  ancient  forms  is  almost  a  curiosity 
in  England.  What  has  wrought  this  change? 
English  the  logians  have  not  thought  themselves 
away  from  the  Calvinistic  system.  They  have  not 
very  generally  reached  their  present  position  as  the 
result  of  critical  study  of  the  Scriptures.  They 
hold  their  views  concerning  "  the  larger  hope,"  and 
"  life  in  Christ,"  chiefly  because  they  are  unable 
to  believe  in  a  God  who  would  allow  such  condi- 
tions of  misery  as  they  see  around  them,  and  then 
sweep  into  a  common  gulf  of  everlasting  perdi- 
tion millions  born  with  tendencies  to  vice  and 
crime  too  strong  to  be  resisted. ""      I  am  not  arguing 

*The  steps  in  the  change  in  the  doctrinal  position  of  English 
Coiigregationalists  may  perhaps  be  traced  as  follows  :  ( i )  a  process 
of  reasoning;  (2)  the  influence  of  Wesleyanism ;  (3)  more  extensive 
culture  ;  (4)  more  sympathy  with  their  fellowmen  ;  (5)  a  consideration 
of  life  on  the  human  rather  than  on  the  Divine  side  ;  (6)  more  stress 
on  the  fatherly  love  than  on  the  sovereign  majesty  of  God. 


138  THE  PILGRIM  JX  OLD  ENGLAND. 

concerning  the  correctness  or  incorrectness  of  tlie 
theological  opinions  commonly  held  in  the  English 
churches,  but  rather  calling  attention  to  the  fact 
that  the  miser}'  of  the  multitude  moulds  and  colours 
the  thinking  of  both  ministry  and  laity. 

The  present  City  Mission  work  of  the  Congrega- 
tional churches  in  London,  and  the  other  great 
cities  of  England,  is  fearfully  inadequate,  and  yet 
nothing  more  inspiring  in  that  line  can  be  found 
in  the  world.  Hugh  Price  Hughes  recently  said  : 
"  It  is  insignificant  in  comparison  with  what  is 
needed  ;  it  is  magnificent  when  studied  by  itself." 

The  work  of  Church  Aid  and  Chapel  Building 
is  retarded  by  obstacles  inherent  in  the  English 
social  system.  The  "  Bitter  Cry  "  of  the  minister 
in  the  small  towns  and  hamlets  of  England  is  just 
now  becoming  distinctly  audible.  It  is  the  terribly 
bitter  cry  of  poverty  and  social  barrenness,  and  the 
English  Free  Churches  have  a  serious  responsibility 
on  their  hands  in  attempting  to  remedy  these  evils  in 
the  country  districts,  which  have  at  last  found  a  voice. 
That  such  circumstances  exist  is  not  to  be  charged 
to  carelessness  in  the  past,  or  lack  of  consecration  in 
the  present,  but  rather  to  the  undue  emphasis  which 
has  been  placed  upon  the  idea  of  "  independency." 
The  following  are  among  the  forces  which  have  been 
the  most  potent  in  producing  the  present  unfortunate 
condition  :  the  lack  of  union  and  co-operation — each 
church  too   exclusively  seeking  its  own  prosperity  ; 


THE  PR/:SF..VT  COXD/770A'.  1 39 

tlic  iiiiiiiciisc  growth  i)f  the  cities  uitliiii  the  hi.-.t  fifl)' 
years;  the  depletion  of  the  small  towns  and  villages; 
the  increase  of  activity  and  social  ostracism  in  the 
dominant  church.  English  Congregational  ministers 
in  the  cities  are  not  over-paid,  and  the  churches  are 
not  extravagantly  managed.  The  wail  from  the 
villages  is  the  echo  of  the  cr)-  of  poverty  in  the 
cities.  The  appeal  should  be  answered  not  b)' 
large  churches  adopting  different  and  more  eco- 
nomical methods  ;  not  by  curtailing  the  salaries  of 
city  ministers,  but  b}-  more  co-operation  and  new 
consecration  on  the  part  of  the  laity,  in  whose  hands 
is  the  wealth. 

Any  study  of  Christian  .service  in  England  which 
did  not  recognise  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary 
work,  as  distinct  from  what  is  being  done  for  the 
great  cities,  would  be  inadequate.  Home  Missions 
are  conducted  by  the  County  Associations  confeder- 
ated in  the  Congregational  Church  Aid  and  Home 
Missionary  Society.  The  objects  of  this  Societ}* 
are  ofificially  stated  as  follows  : 

"  I.  To  call  forth  the  resources  of  the  churches  for 
wise  and  systematic  use  in  Home  Mission  work. 

"2.  To  assist  churches  which  are  unable  to  meet 
their  financial  requirements. 

"3.  To  provide  for  a  more  adequate  remunera- 
tion of  ministers  who  are  doing  good  work  in  neces- 
sitous districts. 

"4.     To  enlist  lay  agencies  for  the    preaching  of 


I40  THE  PILGRIM  LY  OLD  ENGLAiYD. 

the  Gospel  in  x'illages  and  remote  places,  and  the 
establishment  and  maintenance  of  Sunday-schools. 

"  5.  To  form  district  auxiliaries  for  gathering  in- 
formation and  administering  aid. 

"  6.  To  increase  the  influence  of  Free  Church 
principles." 

At  the  best,  statistics  furnish  a  very  inadequate  idea 
of  wliat  is  accomplished  by  any  man  or  institution, 
and  }'et  on  statistics  we  are  largely  dependent  for 
information.  The  amount  of  money  expended  in 
1 89 1  in  grants  for  Home  Missions  was  ^^23,298  ;  677 
churches  and  381  mission  stations  received  financial 
aid.  The  churches  under  the  care  of  this  Societ)' 
provide  accommodations  for  about  210,000  hearers, 
and  the  mission  stations  for  about  20,000. 

The  cause  of  Church  Erection  is  in  the  hands  of 
the  Congregational  Chapel  Building  Society, — and 
of  other  more  local  societies,  as  those  (i)  in  Lan- 
cashire and  Cheshire  ;  (2)  in  Liverpool ;  (3)  in  York- 
.shire,  and  (4)  The  London  Congregational  Union,  or 
Association, 

The  London  Missionary  Society,  which  corre- 
sponds with  our  American  Board,  is  now  nearly  one 
hundred  years  old,  having  been  founded  in  1795. 
Its  sole  object  is  to  provide  for  the  preaching  of  Christ 
in  foreign  lands.  It  sustains  missions  in  China, 
India,  South  and  Central  Africa,  Madagascar,  the 
West  Indies,  Polynesia  and  New  Guinea.  The  aim 
of  the  Society,  adopted  in  1796,  is  stated  as  follows  : 


Trn:  PRESENT  COXDfTfOy.  141 

"As  the  union  of  Christians  of  various  denomina- 
tions, ill  carrying  out  this  grc.it  work,  is  a  most  de- 
sirable object,  so  to  prevent,  if  possible,  any  cause 
of  future  dissension,  it  is  declared  to  be  3.  f  11  nda men- 
ial principle  of  the  Missionary  Society  that  its  de- 
sign is  not  to  send  forth  Presbyterianism,  Independ- 
ency, Episcopacy,  or  any  other  form  of  Church 
order  and  government  (about  which  there  may  be 
difference  of  opinion  among  serious  persons),  but 
the  glorious  Gospel  of  the  blessed  God,  to  the 
heathen  ;  and  that  it  shall  be  left  (as  it  ought  to  be 
left)  to  the  minds  of  the  persons  whom  God  may 
call  into  the  fellowship  of  His  Son  from  among 
them,  to  assume  for  themselves  such  form  of  Church 
government  as  to  them  shall  appear  most  agreeable 
to  the  Word  of  God." 

The  income  of  this  Society  is  not  far  from  ;i^i2i,- 
455  per  annum.  It  supports  about  two  hundred 
English  missionaries,  and  about  twelve  hundred 
native  missionaries  and  pastors.  In  addition  to  these 
it  reports  about  4,200  native  preachers,  69,000  church 
members,  and  270,000  native  adherents.  But  fig- 
ures faintly  indicate  the  work  of  such  an  organiza- 
tion. When  we  remember  the  men  whom  the 
London  Missionary  Society  has  sent  forth — Med- 
hurst,  John  Williams,  Livingstone,  Moffat,  Gilmour, 
etc.,  and  that  it  now  numbers  among  its  missiona- 
ries such  men  as  GrifTfiths  John,  in  China,  and  W.  G. 
Lawes,  in  New  Guinea,  both  heroes  and  scholars  of 


143  THE  rir.CRIM  IX  OLD  EXGLAXD. 

great  ability  and  lofty  manhood,  and  that  these  arc 
only  types  of  scores  of  others,  we  realise  that  the 
English  churches  are  not  altogether  occupied  with 
social  problems  at  home,  and  that  among  them  no 
supposed  laxity  in  theology  "  cuts  the  nerve  of 
missions."  In  the  autumn  of  1892  the  society  sent 
out  at  one  time  thirty  new  missionaries,  two  or  three 
of  them  pastors  with  a  distinguished  record  at  home, 
and  these  were  but  the  first  fruits  of  a  great  Foreiern 
IMissionary  revival.  During  the  past  two  years 
there  has  been  a  forward  movement  in  Forei<jn 
Missions  quite  as  notable  as  that  for  the  relief  of 
England's  poor.  Hand  in  hand  these  two  move- 
ments have  advanced,  and  those  who  have  been 
most  active  in  inspiring  in  the  hearts  of  the  English 
people  a  consciousness  of  their  responsibility  and 
privilege  at  home  are  foremost  in  their  appeals  in 
behalf  of  the  unevangelised  abroad. 

In  England,  local  churches  are  organised  in  sub- 
stantially the  same  way  as  in  the  United  States. 
The  theory  of  the  Church  is  the  same.  There  is 
not,  however,  so  much  emphasis  placed  upon  the 
fellowship  of  churches  as  in  America.  Councils  are 
unknown,  either  for  the  recognition  of  churches,  or 
for  the  ordination  or  installation  of  ministers.  The 
Christians  in  a  community  who  intend  to  unite  in 
the  formation  of  a  church  call  for  such  aid  as  they 
desire,  but  that  call  goes  to  individuals  as  individ- 
uals, and  not  as  representatives  of  churches.     Until 


THE  PKh^EM  coxniTioy.  143 

within  about  tift\-  }cars  strong  cmphdsis  was  placed 
upon  the  indepcMulcnce  of  the  local  church. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  the  present  century 
two  tendencies  in  Congregationalism  were  plainly 
discernible, — the  Conscrwitive  and  the  Progressix'c. 
The  Conservative  emphasised  independence  ;  the 
Progressive  reached  toward  fellowship.  For  a  long 
time  all  attempts  to  bring  the  churches  into  an}thing 
like  s)-stematic  co-operation  for  aggressive  work  were 
looked  upon  with  suspicion.  Freedom  had  been  won 
by  long  and  bitter  struggles,  and  the  descendants  of 
the  heroes  of  Cromwell's  time  did  not  propose  to 
receive  into  their  camp  any  "  Trojan  horse  "  in  which 
might  be  concealed  enemies  who  would  overthrow 
liberties  so  dearly  bought.  But  the  old  dread  of 
fellowship  has  almost  disappeared.  One  hundred 
}'cars  ago  anj'thing  like  the  late  International  Coun- 
cil would  have  been  regarded  as  a  strategem  of  the 
Papacy.  As  the  da}s  of  conflict  have  receded,  the 
difference  between  fellowship  and  authority  has 
been  more  clearly  defined  and  understood,  and  now 
but  few  churches  insist  on  absolute  independence. 
The  English  churches  are  not  more  isolated  than 
the  American,  but  the)'  are  more  jealous  of  en- 
croaciiinents  on  tiieir  libcrt}-.  Local  churches  arc 
constituted  by  Christians  in  the  communit}'.  They 
do  not  feel  called  upon,  as  a  condition  of  their  com- 
ing into  being,  to  secure  official  recognition  from 
other  churches.      They    fear    to    do    so,    lest    they 


144  ^-^^  PILGRIM  TN  OLD  E,VGLA,VD. 

sliould  seem  to  acknowledge  some  authority  other 
than  tliat  which  inheres  in  the  body  itself,  and 
which  comes  direct  from  the  only  Lord  of  the 
Church,  and  the  Conscience. 

The  methods  of  entering  the  ministry  in  England 
differ  from  those  in  the  United  States.  An  edu- 
cated ministry  has  not  been  so  generally  insisted  on 
in  England  as  in  America,  but  careful  training  has 
al\va)'s  been  favoured,  and  so  far  as  possible,  secured. 
An  interesting  discussion  concerning  qualifications 
for  the  ministry  was  carried  on  in  the  denominational 
papers  during  the  year  1892  by  Rev.  Thomas  Green, 
late  Chairman  of  the  Union  of  England  and  Wales, 
and  Rev.  S.  B.  Handley.  Mr.  Green  argued  with 
the  greatest  tenacity  that  each  church  should  choose 
its  own  pastor  for  itself,  and  that  no  other  church  or 
minister  has  the  right  to  question  the  education,  or 
fitness  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  of  the  person 
thus  chosen  so  long  as  the  church  calling  him  is  sat- 
isfied that  he  is  the  proper  man  for  its  pastorate. 
The  fact  that  the  Universities  were  exclusively  in 
the  hands  of  the  Established  Church  made  an  edu- 
cated ministry  among  Dissenters  harder  to  secure, 
but  the  many  Congregational  colleges  founded  in 
recent  years  have  greath'  obviated  that  difficulty. 
The  present  method  of  entering  the  ministry  has 
been  described  to  me  by  a  competent  authority 
substantially  as  follows  :  * 

*  Rev  r.  T.  Forsyth,  of  Leicester. 


THE  PKESEM   COXDITIOy.  I45 

The   cluuchcs   usiuilly  send    inquiries  to  the  col- 
leges, or  when    there  is  a   vacancy    in   a   church   the 
President  of  a  College  recommends  a  student.     The 
only  examination  in  theology  is  college    examina- 
tions.    No    further    test    of   doctrinal  orthodoxy  is 
applied.     No  Council  of  ministers  decides  concern- 
ing the  fitness  of  a  candidate.     The  colleges  have 
qreat    power    in  this    regard,  whereas  the    churches 
have  little  control   of  the  colleges,  which  are  to  a 
f^reat  extent  endowed  bodies,  and  independent.     At 
an    Ordination    Service    a   young    minister    usually 
makes  a  voluntary  statement  "  of    his   religious  be- 
liefs and  experience,  but  this  is  commonly  brief  and 
c.f  a  most  vague  and  general  character.       It  is  made 
to  the  church  calling  him,  rather  than  to  represent- 
atives of   neighbouring  churche.^.     The  old  custom 
of  asking  questions   of    the   candidate  after  he  has 
presented    his   statement  has   almost   entirely  died 
out.      In  the    United   States    the   church  calling  a 
pastor,  whom  it  desires  to  have  ordained,  summons 
an    Ecclesiastical    Council,  and    commits  to    it   the 
responsibility  of  determining  whether  the  man  called 
is  worthy  of  confidence,  and   of  the   confidence  of 
the  churches.     In  England   the   local  church  keeps 
the  reins  in  its  own  hands.    While,  as  already  stated, 
there  are  no  examinations  beyond  the  college  exam- 
inations, such  neighbouring  ministers  as  are  present 

*  Rev.  Bryan  Dale,  commenting  on  this  fact  says,      "  It  has  been 
so  only  wiihin  the  last  twenty  years,  and  is  not  so  generally." 


146  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

assist  in  the  exercises  as  individuals,  and  not  as  rep- 
resentatives of  churches. 

On  leaving  one  charge  for  another  a  minister  is 
received  by  a  Recognition  Service.  Here  again  the 
independence  of  the  local  church  is  conspicuous,  for 
this  Recognition  Service  is  not  conducted  by  repre- 
sentatives of  neighbouring  churches,  but  by  the  indi- 
vidual church  alone.  The  invitations  to  this  service 
go  out  from  the  church  to  such  ministers  as  it  chooses 
to  ask,  and  a  pulpit  announcement  is  sent  to  the 
neighbouring  churches,  but  no  formal  invitation  is  ex- 
tended to  them  to  appoint  delegates.  Invitations 
are  also  occasionally  sent  to  ministers  of  other  de- 
nominations. Neither  the  ministers  nor  the  other 
churches  of  a  community  have  any  voice  concern- 
ing the  settling  of  a  new  pastor  in  any  one  of  the 
churches.  The  only  protection,  that  neighbouring 
ministers  and  churches  have,  is  to  decline  to  invite  an 
objectionable  person  to  become  a  member  of  the 
Ministers'  Fraternal  Union,  or  to  refuse  to  receive 
him  into  the  County  Union.  These  expedients  are 
sometimes  resorted  to,  but  not  very  frequently,  be- 
cause they  are  so  extreme  that  they  could  hardly  be 
used  without  libel,  particularly  in  the  case  of  the 
County  Union. 

One  naturally  asks  next  as  to  how  ministerial 
standing  is  certified.  It  is  by  a  transfer  from  one 
County  Union  to  another.  The  organisation  of  the 
County  Union  will  be  explained  later.      Except  in 


THE  rFESEXT  COXDITIOjV.  M7 

extraordinary  cases  no   Union   refuses  this  transfer 
to  a    ni<in  it    has  not  ejected.     The  student  is  re- 
ceived   on  certificate    from  his   college.     If  a  man 
comes  from  another  denomination,  which  declines 
to  give  him   a  transfer,  the   recommendation  of  one 
or  two  known  ministers  of  the  Congregational  body 
is  accepted,  if  they  arc  in  a  position  to  give  it  with 
intelligence."      If    a    church   calls    a    minister  with- 
out college  training,  or  without  a  previous  pastorate, 
there  may  be  required  for  membership  in  the  Union, 
besides  the  election  of  the  church,  a  certificate  from 
a  minister  well  known  in  the  denomination  ;  but  that 
seldom  happens.     A  correspondent  writes  me  as  fol- 
lows :  "  If  an  American  were  to  come  over  and  settle 
here,  and  was  not  a  celebrity,  we  should  need  a  rec- 
ommendation from   some  well-known  names,  either 
on  that  side  of  the  water  or  this.     Indeed,  it  is  possi- 
ble that  he  would  not  be  received  on  a  recommenda- 
tion with  signatures  from  this  side  of  the  water  only." 
We  come  now  to  the  Basis  of  Union  between  the 
churches.    That  is  very  difficult  of  definition.    Theo- 
logically  only    a    tacit    understanding    prevents    a 
man  who  is  a  Unitarian  from  honourably  remaining 
in  the  Congregational  body  ;  and  yet,  as  a  matter 
of   fact,    the  line  of  separation  between    Congrega- 
tionalists  and  Unitarians  is  far  more  clearly  drawn 

*In  such  cases  some  County  Associations  require  a  personal  in- 
terview, and  that  an  "  Inquiry  Committee  "  (of  permanent  standing) 
be  satisfied. 


148  THE  ri/AiR/M  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

in  England  than  in  America.*  Sentiment  is  strong 
where  rules  are  weak.  A  doctrinal  basis  was  adopted 
by  the  Congregational  Union  of  England  and  Wales 
in  1833,  and  that  is  published  in  the  Year  Book. 
It  is  distinctly  orthodox  and  Calvinistic,  but  the 
greatest  care  is  taken  to  indicate  that  it  is  onl\-  a 
testimony  as  to  the  views  held  at  that  time,  and 
not  to  be  regarded  as  authoritative. 

In  the  organisation  of  a  church  the  largest  liberty 
is  allowed.  In  the  fellowsliip  of  the  churches  there 
are  nominally  but  two  steps,  although  actually  there 
are  three.  First  :  the  local  churches ;  then,  the 
County  Association  ;  and,  finally,  the  Union  of 
England  and  Wales.  Many /f?:c'//.y  have  a  Ministers' 
and  Deacons'  Association,  which  is  only  for  discus- 
sion and  friendly  intercourse  and  is  not  a  part  of 
the  fellowship  of  the  churches. 

An  important  point  to  notice  is  that  there  is  no 
real  connection  between  the  County  Unions  and 
The  Congregational  Union  of  England  and  Wales. 
There  is  what  geologists  would  call  a  "  fault."  The 
Congregational  Union  is  not  an  organisation  of  the 
County  Unions,  but  of  single  churches;  a  few  Con- 
gregational churches  are  neither  in  a  County  Union 
nor  the  Congregational  Union.     The  various  Count}' 

*  Most  of  the  Trust  Deeds,  transmitting  property  for  the  use  ot 
these  cluirches,  are  Calvinistic;  and  cases  have  occurred  of  ministers 
being  ejected  for  not  preaching  in  accordance  therewith,  but  such 
cases  are  rare. 


THE  PRESENT  coxdition:  149 

Unions,   or    Associations,   arc    united    only    in    the 
Church  Aid  and    Home  Missionary  Society  for  help 
\\Y^  the   poor  churches,  planting  new  churches,  and 
starting  evangelistic  work.      Mow,  then,  is  admission 
to  the   Congregational   Union    regulated  ?      H)'  the 
County  Unions  being  called  upon  to  act  as  sponsors. 
The  names  of  only  such  ministers   and  churches  are 
printed  in  the  Year  Book  as  are  sent  up  by  the  County 
Unions.    A  County  Union  could  send  up  the  name  of 
a  minister,  and  even  of  a  church,  who  preferred  not 
to  belong  to  it,  if  the  officers  of  that  Union  were 
satisfied  as  to  their  Congregationalism.     The  Con- 
gregational Union  of  England  and  Wales  consists  of 
such  ministers  of  subscribing  churches  as  have  been 
vouched  for  by  the  local  Unions,  and   of  delegates 
from  those  churches,  but  it   is  not    an   organisation 
of  the  local  Unions.     Many  of  the  leaders  in  English 
Congregationalism  feel  that  this  is  an  unsatisfactory 
condition,  and  efforts  will  probably  be  made  to  make 
the  Congregational   Union  more  nearly   an    organ- 
isation of  County  Unions  by  amalgamating  it  with 
the  Church  Aid  and  Home  Missionary  Society. 

There  is  thus  a  noticeable  contrast  between  the 
Congregational  Union  of  England  and  Wales  and 
the  National  Council  of  the  United  States. 

The  National  Council  is  composed  of  delegates 
from  the  State  Associations,  local  Associations  and 
Conferences.  In  all  but  one  or  two  States  the  State 
Association    is  composed   of  delegates  from  the  in- 


150  THE  PILGRIM  IjV  OLD  EXGLAXD. 

dividual  churches.  There  is  an  orderly  progression 
in  our  system,  and,  while  neither  the  local  Associa- 
tion, nor  the  State  Association,  nor  yet  the  National 
Council,  has  any  authority,  still  all  are  continuously 
connected  representative  bodies. 

The  Congregational  Union  of  England  and  Wales, 
on  the  other  hand,  recognises  three  kinds  of  mem- 
bers— Representative,  Honorary,  and  Associate: — 

"  Representative  members  are  appointed  by  any  church  con- 
nected with  the  County  Union,  or  recommended  by  it,  provided 
that  church  contributes  not  less  than  ten  shillings  annually  to 
the  fund  of  the  Union.  If  it  makes  such  contribution  it  may 
elect  delegates  in  the  proportion  of  one  to  every  fifty  members, 
but  no  church  may  appoint  more  than  four  delegates.  Any 
church  known  as  a  Union  Church,  that  is,  one  in  which  neither 
church  membership,  nor  tenure  of  office,  is  dependent  on  opin- 
ions regarding  the  subjects  or  form  of  baptism,  may  appoint 
delegates  on  the  same  terms  as  other  Congregatioaal  churches. 
The  committee  of  any  college  or  society  recognized  as  a  Con- 
gregational college  or  society,  and  which  subscribes  not  less 
than  ten  shillings  annually,  may  elect  two  delegates.  The.pas- 
tor  of  any  church  which  contributes  to  the  fund  according  to 
the  preceding  rules  is  ex  officio  a  representative  member. 

"  Honorary  members.  Retired  pastors  of  Congregational 
Churches  who,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Committee  of  the 
Union  shall  be  elected  by  open  vote  of  an  Annual  or  Autumnal 
Assembly,  shall  be  Honorary  members,  and  have  all  the  priv- 
ileges of  Representative  members.  Missionaries  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society  during  their  residence  in  England  may 
under  this  rule  become  Honorary  members. 

"  Associate  Members.  The  members  of  any  church  com- 
petent to  appoint  delegates  according  to  the  foregoing  Rules, 


THE  PRESEXT  COXDITION.  I  5  I 

and  the  pastors  and  members  of  any  church  which  does  not 
contribute  to  the  funds  of  the  Union,  but  is  otherwise  competent 
to  appoint  delegates,  may  become  Associates  on  the  payment 
of  an  annual  subscription  of  five  shillings.  Accredited  pastors 
of  Congregational  churches  in  the  British  Colonies  shall,  when 
residing  in  the  United  Kingdom,  be  eligible  as  Associates."  * 

The  basis  of  union  between  the  churches  in  Eng- 
land, while  somewhat  resembling  that  in  the  United 
States,  in  important  respects  is  quite  different.  In 
England  there  is  nothing  corresponding  to  our  Coun- 
cils. A  new  church  is  started  by  the  action  of  indi- 
viduals, or  local  churches,  or  at  the  sui;gestion  and 
by  the  aid  of  the  Count}-  Union.  If  a  colony  goes 
off  from  an  old  church,  circumstances  determine  the 
recognition  it  receives.  Often  a  church  is  planted 
as  a  mission  station  by  the  efforts  of  some  existing 
church  which  takes  charge  of  the  enterprise.  From 
a  "  mission  "  it  becomes  a  "  branch  "  church,  not  in- 
dependent, controlled  by  the  initiating  church,  yet 
with  meetings  and  sacraments  of  its  own.  Then, 
in  due  time,  it  is  cut  adrift  as  an  ''independent" 
church,  and  the  pecuniary  help  it  needs  is  fur- 
nished not  by  the  parent  church,  but  by  the  County 
Union  through  the  Church  Aid  Society,  as  for  other 
weak  churches. 

In  the  reception  of  members  the  English  usage 
differs  in  some  minor  respects  from  that  in  the  United 

♦Condensed  from  the  Year  Book,  Congregational  Union  of  Eng- 
land and  Wales. 


152  THE  PILGRIM  LY  OLD  ENGLAND. 

States.  In  the  American  churches  candidates  are 
asked  to  appear  either  before  a  church  meeting  or 
before  the  Standing  Committee  of  the  church,  and 
submit  to  an  examination.  In  England  a  church 
usually  designates  one  or  two  of  its  members  to  con- 
fer with  candidates,  and  ascertain  whether  they 
possess  spiritual  life,  and  then  the  membership  acts 
on  the  information  which  these  brethren  present. 
In  the  United  States — though  the  custom  is  by  no 
means  universal,  and  is  rapidly  disappearing — candi- 
dates are  received  on  their  acceptance  of  Articles  of 
Faith  and  a  Covenant.  In  England,  after  a  vote  is 
taken,  they  are  usually  received  by  the  pastor  giving 
to  them  the  right  hand  of  fellowship,  which  act  is 
accompanied  by  a  brief  address  and  prayer.*  Some 
churches  receive  members  in  a  separate  or  private 
meeting;  others  take  the  vote  of  such  a  meeting, 
and  then  publicly  admit,  or  recognise  the  new  mem- 
bers at  the  Lord's  Table.  Other  churches  transact 
such  business  in  an  open  meeting,  to  which  all  per- 
sons who  feel  inclined  may  come,  it  being  taken  for 
granted  that  only  such  will  be  present  as  are  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  proceeding.  No  doctrinal  tests  are 
required  as  conditions  of  membership,  and  yet  if  a 
person  wished  to  unite  with  a  Congregational  church, 
and  should  either  openly  avow,  or  give  good  reason 
for  the  suspicion,  that  he  was  out  of  harmony  with 
the  views  entertained  by  the  church  which  he  pro- 
*  "  Manual  for  Ministers  and  Deacons,"  p.  4. 


7' HE  PKESEXJ-  CONDITlOX. 


OJ 


posed  to  join,  he  woukl  be  advised  to  go  elsewhere. 
The  difference  between  the  EngHsh  usage  and  the 
American  is,  that  the  former  reasonabl}'  presumes 
that  those  who  desire  to  become  church-members 
will  not  prefer  the  request  unless  there  is  sufficient 
agreement  between  their  own  views  and  those  of  the 
church  concerning  vital  Christian  doctrine  to  make 
their  membership  desirable,  while  the  latter  tends  to 
require  demonstration  of  this.  The  sole  condition 
of  membership  in  the  Independent  churches  of 
England  is  credible  evidence  of  a  personal  Christian 
experience.  In  the  Congregational  churches  of 
America,  on  the  other  hand,  assent  to  a  scries  of 
formulated  doctrines  and  a  covenant  is  usually  re- 
quired before  candidates  are  received  into  fellowship. 

There  is  little  difference  between  the  English  and 
American  usage  in  matters  of  discipline.  One  fact, 
however,  is  worthy  of  special  mention,  and  that  is, 
that  English  churches  recognise  that  a  person  may 
resign  his  membership  in  the  local  church."  In 
America  the  theoretical  contention  has  usually  been 
that  the  only  way  out  of  church-membership  is  by 
death  or  discipline,  although  the  quite  frequent 
practice,  in  cases  of  abandonment  of  the  communion, 
has  been  the  dropping  of  the  names  of  such  members 
from  the  roll  of  the  church  and  withdrawal  of  fel- 
lowship from  them. 

We    have    thus    outlined    the    organisation,    and 

*"  Manual  for  Ministers  and  Deacons,"  p.  40. 


154  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

what  may  be  called  the  machinery,  of  English 
Congregationalism.  The  English  churches  empha- 
sise spirit  and  life,  rather  than  government  and 
authorit)'.  They  believe  in  continuous  inspiration  ; 
that  the  humblest  and  poorest,  if  his  heart  is  open 
and  pure,  may  expect  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit. 
We  place  much  dependence  on  machinery  ;  of  that 
they  are  careless.  An  illustration  of  the  same 
principle  is  found  in  the  monetary  system  of  the 
British  kingdom.  England  alone  among  European 
nations  has  thus  far  declined  to  adopt  a  decimal 
currency.  She  uses  pounds,  shillings  and  pence, 
and  all  business  with  her  has  to  be  transacted  ac- 
cording to  that  currency.  The  English  speak  of 
guineas,  as  well  as  of  pounds,  though  such  a  coin 
as  a  guinea  is  not  now  issued  and  has  not  been  since 
1813.  Yet  trade  flows  to  their  shores  in  continuous 
streams,  and  merchants  are  more  careful  about  get- 
ting business  than  about  conforming  their  commer- 
cial methods  to  those  of  the  rest  of  the  world. 
The  Congregational  system  of  England  is  much  like 
that  of  her  currency.  It  works  well  becau.se  spirit 
is  more  than  form,  and  life  than  mechanism. 

It  has  been  observed  before,  in  this  lecture,  that 
the  English  churches  put  comparatively  little  em- 
phasis on  Creeds  and  Confessions,  and  yet  there  is 
one  curiosity  closely  akin  to  these  which  still  sur- 
vives, and  plays  an  important  part  in  their  ecclesias- 
tical system.     The  reference  is  to  "  Doctrinal  Sched- 


THE  PRESENT  COXDITION'.  I  5  5 

ules  in  Trust  Deeds."  The  name  explains  the 
thing.  When  a  church,  or  institution,  is  founded, 
it  has  been  customary  to  insert  in  the  deed  of 
the  property  certain  conditions,  according  to  which 
it  is  to  be  held  ant!  b}'  which  its  use  is  to  be 
determined.  And  so  there  is  the  strange  anomaly 
of  churches  declining  to  be  bound  by  a  written 
Creed,  and  yet  having  in  the  deeds  of  their  propert)- 
that  which  is  practically  a  creed  of  the  strictest 
kind.  This  "  dead  hand  "  rests  on  many  English 
churches  and  institutions.  Such  deeds  were  more 
common  in  the  past  than  at  present.  One  of  the 
papers  at  the  International  Council  was  b}'  Dr. 
Thomas  Green,  of  Ashton-under-Lyne.  Dr.  Green 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  figures  in  contem- 
porary Congregationalism,  and  his  paper  was  a 
scathing  denunciation  of  the  s}'steni  of  which  we  are 
speaking.  He  described  these  Trust  Deeds  as  fol- 
lows :  "  The  objects  we  are  to  speak  of  are  frequenth' 
regarded  with  great  veneration.  They  are  theologi- 
cal miniatures  \\hich  arc  intended  to  represent  in 
microscopic  form  what  certain  persons,  who  have 
subscribed  some  money,  take  to  be  the  principal 
features  of  the  Christian  faith.  The)-  arc  made  b}- 
skilful  professional  people  employed  b}'  the  sub- 
scribers ;  and  both  the  artificers  and  the  donors  are 
most  frankly  to  be  credited  with  the  greatest  sincer- 
ity and  with  the  very  best  intentions.  They  believe 
that  thc\-  believe  all  they  say ;  and  feeling  its  value 


136  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

they  very  much  desire  that  other  people  not  at  pres- 
ent born  should  also  believe  it,  and  they  construct 
the  little  portrait  as  a  means  for  bringing  about  this 
important  end." 

On  the  other  hand,  it  must  be  granted  that  Dr. 
Green  has  not  presented  the  whole  subject,  and 
there  is  another  side,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  follow- 
ing suggestions  by  Rev.  Bryan  Dale,  Secretary  of 
the  Yorkshire  Union:  "Consider  (i),  that  these 
Schedules  were  not  intended  to  limit  the  truth  of 
God,  or  prevent  men  from  thinking  for  themselves  ; 
(2),  but  to  determine  the  use  of  property  in  certain 
directions,  for  which  it  was  devoted  ;  (3),  and  that 
they  have  been  largely  the  result  of  the  experience 
of  its  being  diverted  from  the  use  intended.  The 
oldest  Trust  Deeds  were  simply  for  '  the  Worship  of 
God  '  ;  and  in  a  great  many  instances  ministers  and 
elders  who  became  Unitarians  retained  the  endow- 
ments connected  with  the  building,  as  well  as  the 
building  itself,  while  the  evangelicals  had  to  go  forth 
and  erect  other  places  of  worship.  (4),  If  the  build- 
ing has  no  Trust  Deed  determining  its  use,  but  is 
left  with  the  majority  of  the  congregation,  such  a 
majority  may  be  manipulated,  quarrels  are  likely  to 
ensue,  and  where  are  the  rights  of  the  minority? 
The  question  is  not  a  simple  one." 

The  Trust  Deeds  of  the  English  churches  differ 
very  little,  if  any,  from  the  conditions  which  are 
attached  to  many  gifts  in  the   United  States,  as  for 


THr.  FK ESEXT  coxniTiox.  i:,7 

instance,  the  cntlc^wmcnts  and  tlic  creed  of  And'Acr 
Theological  Seminary.  The  fallacy  which  lies  at 
the  basis  of  such  gifts,  and  which  makes  them  often 
a  hinderancc  to  the  Kingdom  of  God  rather  tlian  a 
help,  is  the  fact  that  many  men  imagine  that  they 
have  the  right  to  determine  how  the  money  of  which 
they  are  stewards  for  a  liUlc  while  shall  be  used  for 
all  time,  and  that  they,  in  the  period  in  which  the\' 
live,  have  full  light  on  the  universe  of  truth.  These 
two  parts  of  one  great  fallacy  have  caused  in- 
finite trouble  on  both  sides  of  the  water;  and  \et 
the  question  is  entirely  pertinent,  What  form  of 
trust  deed  would  not  have  caused  trouble  ?  We  are 
coming  to  realise, slowly  and  through  sad  experiences, 
that  wealth  belongs  to  the  race  and  to  God.  The 
individual  is  allowed  its  possession  while  he  lives  ; 
lie  ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  determine  how  it  shall 
be  used  in  all  the  future.  A  man's  right  to  what 
he  calls  his  wealth  is  not  an  eternal  right.  Fur- 
thermore, the  self-righteousness  of  those  who,  living 
in  a  narrow  world  and  having  but  little  light,  imagine 
that  they  know  what  will  be  best  for  all  the  centu- 
ries will  not  much  longer  be  tolerated.  Such  persons 
ha\e  made  trouble  enough  already.  The  English 
churches,  and  the  American  as  well,  are  coming  to 
understand  that  quite  as  much  confidence  should  be 
placed  in  living  men  as  in  dead  men,  and  that  no 
one  age  is  characterised  by  omniscience. 

The  English  Trust  Deed  will  probably  be  greatly 


158  THE  riLGRIM  IX  OI.P  ENGLAND. 

modified,  but  it  is  not  likch'  soon  to  disappear. 
The  Chapel  Building  Society  has  a  model  deed, 
which  is  of  as  much  value  as  such  documents 
usually  are,  and  which  is  commonly  adopted  by 
churches  to  which  it  gives  assistance.  In  the  not 
distant  future  let  us  hope  that  the  Spirit  of  God  will 
be  trusted  to  guard  against  the  misuse  of  money, 
and  to  lead  God's  people  into  all  the  truth  He  wishes 
them  to  know. 

The  English  Independents  believed  in  an  edu- 
cated ministry,  even  when  it  was  well-nigh  impossi- 
ble to  get  a  liberal  education  without  going  abroad  ; 
and  when  the  doors  of  the  Universities  were  closed 
against  them  one  of  their  first  acts  was  to  found 
academies.""'"  These  academies  were  primarily  de- 
signed for  the  training  of  ministers,  and  }'et  in  time 
they  came  also  to  do  a  great  work  in  the  training  of 
the  people.  They  were  to  Nonconformit}'  what  the 
Universities  were  to  the  Establishment.  Later  many 
of  them  developed  into  colleges.  The  Universities 
which  were  so  long  closed  against  Dissenters  were 
opened  in  1870,  and  as  a  result  there  is  now  going  on 
a  process  of  adjustment  to  new  educational  conditions 
which  is  causing  material  changes  in  the  constitution 
of  the  Nonconformist  colleges.  The  Universities  are 
the  glory  of  the  nation,  and  most  young  Englishmen 
ambitious  of  learning  wish  to  take  their  degrees  cither 
at  Oxford  or  Cambridge.     As  a  result,  the  Congrega- 

*  Enc)'clopasdia  ]5ritannica,  "Independents." 


Tirr.  FRFSEXT  coxniTiox.  159 

tional  colleges  arc  devoting  themselves  more  exclu- 
sivel)'  to  theological  training.  The  process  is  not  yet 
fully  completed,  for  in  several  of  the  colleges  there 
are  courses  in  arts — "  the  humanities,"  as  well  as 
courses  in  theology — "  di\-init\-." 

In  the  old  days,  before  railroads  had  brought  all 
districts  of  England  near  together,  such  institutions 
arose  in  different  parts  of  the  Kingdom.  When 
tlic  Universities  were  opened  to  Nonconformists, 
some  of  the  colleges  ceased  to  be  needed  ;  in 
one  or  two  instances  combinations  have  been 
made ;  but  there  are  still  too  many  schools  of 
theology.  In  London  there  are  nominally  two,  but 
practically  three,  (for  Chcshunt.  while  belonging 
to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon's  denomination, 
is  chiefly  Congregational),  all  doing  practically  the 
same  work,  when  one  would  be  quite  sufficient.  In- 
deed, it  may  be  questioned  whether  the  London 
institutions  might  not  with  the  greatest  benefit  all 
be  merged  in  Mansfield  College,  at  Oxford.  In 
the  North  tlicie  are  Lancashire  College  at  ^lan- 
chester  and  the  L^nited  College  at  Bradford.  They 
are  only  about  an  hour  apart  by  railwa\'.  They 
are  doing  the  same  kind  of  work,  and  each  natural!}- 
clings  to  its  own  existence,  though  the  churches 
would  be  benefited  if  the  two  were  united.'"  This 
process  of  combining  the  smaller  colleges  inxolves 

*"0n  the  other  hand  consider  :     (i),  Much  depends  upon  the  stu- 
dents   being    kept    in  touch    with    the    actual   life  of    the  cluirches  ; 


l6o  THE  ril.GKlM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

niucli   difficulty,  and   will   require  tact   and   wisdom, 
and    yet    the    best    interests    of    the     Independent 
churches  seem  imperatively  to  demand  such  a  course. 
Oxford  is  very  central.     Mansfield  College  is  already 
firmly  established  in  that    ancient   seat  of   learning. 
While  it  has  its  perils,  and  defects  no  doubt,  it  offers 
to  students  opportunities  of  culture  which  no  other 
college   can    offer.     And  yet  it  is  only  partially  en- 
dowed, and  is  still  poorly  equipped — if   any  college 
with    Dr.    Fairbairn  at    its    head    may    be   so    char- 
acterised.    It   should    have  many  more  professors, 
and    it   would  have    them    immediately   if  some  of 
the    smaller  institutions  would   merge   their  endow- 
ments   in    those  of    the    college  which  is  sure  to  be 
the  most  influential  and  helpful  of  all  in  the   King- 
dom.    When  we  remember  that  England  is  hardly 
larger  than  the  State  of  New  York,  and  that  its  Con- 
gregational churches  have  six  or  eight  institutions, 
all  doing  the   work    of    the  widely  scattered    theo- 
logical   seminaries   in  the   United   States,  and  that 
none  of  them  are  fully  equipped  as  to  their  pro- 
fessors,   while   all    have  expensive    buildings    and 
grounds,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  there  is  an  unwar- 
ranted waste   both    of   men    and    of    means.      We 
may    confidently   expect    that    in    the    not    distant 

(2),  The  colleges  largely  depend  on  the  contributions  of  the  churches ; 
(3),  The  churches  are  aided  by  the  preaching  of  the  studunts  ; 
()),  Any  advantage  gained  bv  amalgamation  is  more  than  counter- 
acted by  other  disadvantages." — Rev.  Brvaw  Dale. 


TJIE  PKESEXr  COXDIJIOX.  l6l 

future  the  problem  \vill  be  solved,  and  instead  of 
six  or  eight  poorly-equipped  colleges  there  will  be 
two  or  three  strong,  well-manned,  and  wisely  located 
theological  seminaries. 

Much  has  been  written  during  the  last  few  years 
concerning  the  strength  and  weakness  of  Indepen- 
dency. The  champions  of  the  Establishment  are 
strangely  interested  in  the  vitality  of  Congregation- 
alism, and  hardly  a  month  passes  that  some  enter- 
prising reviewer  does  not  devote  himself  to  this 
subject.  The  Nineteenth  Century  Review  has 
recently  published  two  noteworthy  articles  on  the 
subject.*  According  to  tlie  confession  of  its  friends 
the  weakness  of  English  Congregationalism  is  largely 
in  the  following  conditions  : 

I.  TJie  prevalence  of  t lie  coviniercial  spirit.  The 
churches  arc  influenced  too  much  by  their  surround- 
ings, and  are  not  positive  enough  in  making  a  new 
and  better  environment.  The  questions  uppermost 
in  the  minds  of  the  people  are  said  to  be  financial 
rather  than  spiritual,  and  all  Nonconformists  are  de- 
clared to  be  under  the  pressure  of  ambition  to  be  as 
"  respectable  "  as  the  Establishment.  "  They  build 
costly  churches  and  employ  costly  agencies,  and  then 
devote  themselves  to  raising  money  rather  than  to 
the  salvation  of  souls."  But  the  financial  difficulty 
is  not  peculiar  to  English  Congregationalism.  It 
faces  all  Christian   workers,  especially  where  there 

*  The   Nineteenth  Century  Review,  vol.  for  1890,  pp.  628-639. 


l62  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

are  no  endowments.  The  Establishment,  in  a  meas- 
ure, is  free  from  such  perplexities,  because  its  older 
churches  have  been  built  by  the  wealth  of  the  nation  ; 
and  yet  it  is  not  entirely  free,  for  their  "  restoration  " 
has  required  strenuous  efforts  and  often  real  sacrifice. 
On  the  other  hand  the  Free  Churches  have  to  provide 
for  the  erection  of  their  edifices,  for  the  support  of 
the  services  of  the  sanctuary,  and  for  carrying  on  mis- 
sionary enterprises.  These  burdens  are  often  heavy, 
and  it  is  not  surprising  if  questions  of  ways  and 
means  are  sometimes  given  what  seem  to  be  places 
of  undue  prominence. 

2.  The  iinder-education  of  the  ministry.  But  that 
is  disappearing  under  the  influence  of  Mansfield 
College,  New  College,  Lancashire  College,  and  other 
institutions  which  will  be  mentioned  more  at  length 
in  a  later  lecture. 

3.  TJic  absence  of  a  central  organisation,  or,  pos- 
sibly, the  absence  of  local  organisations.  This  diflFi- 
culty  is  one  which  faces  all  Free  Churches.  Where 
each  church  is  independent  many  churches  will  often 
be  without  ministers,  and  many  ministers  without 
pastorates. 

These  diflficulties,  when  contrasted  with  the  sup- 
posed advantages  of  an  episcopal  system  simply 
lead  to  a  balancing  of  advantages  and  disadvantages. 
A  Bishop  and  central  organisation  undoubtedly  fa- 
cilitate the  administration  of  affairs.  But,  on  the 
other  hand.  Independency  has  its  own  peculiar  ele- 


THE  PRESENT  COXDTTIOX.  1 63 

mcnts  of  strcngtli.  In  England,  and  all  densely 
populated  regions  where  many  people  are  very 
poor,  endowed  churches  are  almost  a  necessity. 
Whatever  our  theories  as  to  what  ought  to  be,  the 
fact  is  that  the  well-to-do  classes  of  society  usually, 
as  soon  as  they  are  able,  move  awa}-  from  the 
densely  populated  districts  of  large  cities.  Conse- 
quently the  suburban  churches  are  strong,  while 
those  are  weak  where  the  population  is  more  numer- 
ous and  poverty  is  the  most  pinching.  The  Estab- 
lishment has  a  great  advantage  in  its  endowments, 
which  enable  it  to  continue  its  work  undiminished 
in  localities  from  which  the  wealthier  classes  have 
migrated.  Undoubtedly  endowments  have  their 
evils,  but  we  are  at  present  concerned  only  with  their 
benefits. 

Yet,  how  to  evangelise  the  great  cities  is  only 
one  factor  in  the  world-wide  problem  ;  and  the  fact 
is  that  even  with  their  endowments,  which  give 
them  a  real  advantage,  the  Established  churches  do 
no  better  work  than  the  Free  Churches. 

4.  Another  source  of  weakness  is  the  almost  uni- 
versal custom  among  Nonconformists  of  having 
bnt  one  minister  for  a  church.  I\Ir.  T.  Herbert  Dar- 
low  says :  *  "  This  Congregational  fondness  for 
middle-class  respectability  is  at  once  a  cause  and  an 
effect  of  the  undue  importance  we  attach  to  preach- 
ing as  compared  with  pastoral  work.      For  the  shep- 

*  NituUenth  Century  Review,  Oct.  1890. 


164  THE  PILGRIM  I  A'  OLD  EXGLAXD. 

herd's  true  mission  lies  among  the  scattered,  and 
not  the  folded  sheep.  But  the  minister  who  is  pri- 
marily a  private  chaplain  to  his  pew-holders  has  scant 
energy  to  spare  for  souls  without.  The  truth  is  that 
a  large  congregation  cannot  be  properly  worked  by 
only  one  minister.  Hardly  any  other  Christian  de- 
nomination attempts  such  an  impossibility.  It  i.s 
rare,  indeed,  to  find  a  vicar  with  ^500  ^  year  or  up- 
wards in  a  busy  town  who  has  not,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  one  or  more  curates  to  help  him.  But  it  is 
almost  equally  rare  to  find  a  similarly  situated  Con- 
gregational minister  who  is  not  single-handed  at  his 
task.  We  need  not  discuss  the  secret  of  this  not 
quite  creditable  result— whether  a  congregation  gath- 
ered, as  it  so  often  is,  by  personal  attractions,  prefers 
to  wear  out  its  favourite  preacher  rather  than  appoint 
him  a  deputy  ;  or  whether  the  preacher  be  some- 
times unwilling  to  share  his  income,  even  when  it  is 
large,  with  an  assistant.  The  fact  remains  that 
twice  one  are  more  than  two  ;  and  I  believe  that 
Congregational  church  work  would  be  far  more  ef^- 
cient  if  curacies  were  as  much  the  rule  as  they  are 
now  the  exception."  The  position  taken  by  Mr. 
Darlow  is  sound,  and  the  Free  Churches  on  both  sides 
of  the  water  must  find  some  better  plan  than  a  "  one 
man  ministry,"  or  they  will  lag  far  behind  the 
Roman  and  Episcopal  churches  in  the  "  forward 
movement." 

The  diflficulties  most  to  be  dreaded  by  the  English 


THE  PRESENT  COXDITIOX.  165 

dissenting  cluirchcs  arc  :  the  commercial  spirit  ;  tlie 
desire  on  the  part  of  the  middle-class  j)eople  when 
they  have  acquired  a  competence  to  secure  the 
social  recognition  which  can  usually  be  found  only 
in  the  Established  Church;  and  the  tendency  to  rely 
too  much  in  new  times  and  new  conditions  upon 
principles  and  methods  which  were  best  in  other 
times  and  different  conditions,  but  which  have  long 
since  ceased  to  be  vital. 

Turning  from  the  weakness  of  English  Congrega- 
tionalism we  note  a  few  of  the  elements  of  its 
strength  : 

It  possesses  a  denominational  esprit  dc  corps  not 
commonly  found  on  our  side  of  the  water.  The  dif- 
ference may  be  easily  explained.  Persecution  de- 
velops strength,  and  unites  those  whom  it  oppresses. 
From  earliest  times  the  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional churches  in  the  United  States  have  been  dis- 
tinguished for  culture,  social  position  and  influence. 
Their  leaders  have  been  men  of  education  and  recog- 
nised quality  and  character.  In  the  New  England 
Colonies,  as  in  the  New  England  States,  these 
churches  were  predominant.  In  England,  on  the 
contrary,  the  Congregationalists,  in  common  with 
other  Nonconformists,  have  had  to  win  for  themselves 
fr<jm  reluctant  opponents  ever}'  advantage  which  the)- 
have  gained.  If  they  have  not  been  knit  together  b)' 
common  interests  they  have  been  united  in  the  face 
of   common    dangers.     The   \  er)-   opposition    which 


1 66  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

they  have  received  has  developed  in  them  a  rugged 
and  dauntless  strength.  There  is  a  sturdiness  in 
the  fibre  of  the  English  Nonconformists  seldom 
found  in  more  favorable  circumstances.  We  pride 
ourselves  on  our  lack  of  denominational  enthusiasm  ; 
they  emphasise  their  loyalty  to  their  ecclesiastical 
principles. 

The  Congregational  Union  of  England  and  Wales 
in  its  spring  and  autumnal  meetings  exerts  a  much 
wider  and  deeper  influence  than  our  National  Coun- 
cil. The  programmes  for  the  meetings  of  the  former 
body  are  more  carefully  prepared,  and  the  subjects 
for  discussion  have  more  vital  relations  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  We  fritter 
away,  with  senseless  business,  time  which  they  devote 
to  the  consideration  of  fundamental  principles.  The 
Moderator  of  our  National  Council  is  only  a  respec- 
table figure-head,  whose  duties  end  with  the  Council 
over  which  he  is  elected  to  preside.  He  makes  no  de- 
liverance to  which  the  churches  are  expected  to  lis- 
ten. On  the  other  hand,  the  Chairman  of  the  Union 
of  England  and  Wales  is  chosen  because  he  is  a  rep- 
resentative man,  whose  best  thoughts  the  people  are 
anxious  to  hear,  and  his  two  addresses — one  at  the 
spring,  the  other  at  the  autumnal  meeting— are  the 
most  important  utterances  to  Congregationalists  dur- 
ing the  whole  year.  The  subjects  for  address  from 
the  Chair  of  the  Union  always  deal  with  li\ing  ques- 
tions.    For  instance,  Baldwin   Brown  in    1879  spoke 


THE  PRESENT  COJV/J/r/OK  1 67 

on  **  Our  Theology  in  Relation  to  the  Intellectual 
Movements  of  our  Times,"  and  his  second  address 
was  on  "  The  Perfect  Law  of  Liberty."  Dr.  Parker, 
in  1884,  gave  two  great  orations,  one  of  them  on 
"  The  Larger  Ministry,"  and  the  other  on  "Ortho- 
doxy of  Heart."  Dr.  Mackennal,  in  1887,  spoke 
on  "  The  Witness  of  Congregationalism  "  and  "  The 
Life  of  the  Spirit";  and  Dr.  John  Brown,  1891, 
spoke  on  "The  Historic  Episcopate"  and  "The 
Historic  Christian  People."  These  addresses  were 
published  in  full  in  the  denominational  papers  and 
went  into  nearly  all  the  households  of  the  churches. 
The  Chairman  of  the  Union  for  the  year  is  the  rec- 
ognised leader  of  the  Congregational  army  in  Eng- 
land ;  we  in  America  have  no  such  leader.  Not 
until  we  exalt  our  National  Council,  making  it  en- 
tirely different  from  a  shadow  of  the  Presbyterian 
General  Assembly,  and  its  Moderator  something 
more  than  a  man  set  to  turn  the  crank  of  the  wheels 
which  grinds  out  mere  routine  business,  will  the 
chief  convocation  of  the  American  churches  com- 
pare in  importance  and  value  with  the  Union  of 
England  and  Wales. 

The  English  churches  as  a  rule  are  more  perfectly 
organised  for  work  than  the  American.  The  diac- 
onate  has  larger  honour,  and  in  man)-  churches  the 
deacons  are  more  distinctly  leaders  in  the  church 
than  with  us.  There,  as  here,  rotation  in  the  ofifice 
is  gradual!)'  becoming  more  common.    Tiic  Sunda)' 


l68  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  EXGLAXD. 

services  receive  no  less  emphasis  than  with  us,  but 
that  the  church  edifice  is  intended  for  wide  and 
varied  activity  as  well  as  for  preaching  on  the  Lord's 
Day  is  more  clearly  and  generally  recognised.  Their 
"  Chapels  "  are  hives  of  industry.  I  can  imagine  no 
better  training  in  pastoral  theology  than  a  careful 
study  of  such  hand-books  as  the  manuals  issued  by 
the  Chorlton  Road  Church  in  Manchester,  where 
Dr.  Goodrich  is  now  pastor,  and  Dr.  Macfadyan 
was  formerly  ;  by  the  Union  Chapel  in  Islington,  Dr. 
Allon's  ;  and  by  the  Queen  Street  Church  in  Wolver- 
hampton, of  which  Charles  A.  Berry  is  pastor.  The 
idea  of  "the  larger  parish,"  which  we  have  neglected, 
is  more  firmly  grasped  in  England.  That  implies 
that  the  Church  is  the  centre  and  home  of  the  eccle- 
siastical household,  while  clustered  about  it  are  nu- 
merous smaller  institutions — "  chapels,"  "  branches," 
"  missions,"  etc.,  in  which  are  preaching  services, 
Sunday-schools,  and  whatever  forms  of  Christian 
work  may  be  required  by  the  community  in  which 
they  are  located.  The  "  one-minister  "  idea  is  begin- 
ning to  disappear  from  most  of  their  large  churches, 
and  those  who  are  practically  curates  are  assisting 
Nonconformist  pastors  as  those  assistant  pastors 
help  vicars  in  "  the  Church." 

The  English  churches  teach  one  lesson  which  may 
well  be  studied  by  all  who  fear  that  the  growing 
disinclination  to  make  doctrinal  conditions  of  church- 
membership   will    result    in    a   diminished    spiritual 


THE  rRESENT  CONDITIOX.  169 

life.  In  En<^^land  no  clnucli  with  which  I  am 
acquainted  insists  upon  the  acceptance  of  a  Creed 
as  a  condition  of  membership  :  and  yet  the  spirit- 
uaHty  of  the  people  ;  their  devotion  to  their  work  ; 
their  loyalty  to  the  Bible,  the  Church  and  the  sacra- 
ments, and  to  all  that  belongs  to  the  worship  of 
God,  and  to  the  great  principles  of  evangelical  doc- 
trine— especiall)'  the  Deity  of  Christ  and  the  Doc- 
trine of  the  Cross — are  quite  as  intense  as  with  us, 
and  even  more  pronounced. 

Another  fact  characteristic  of  Congrcgationalists 
in  England  is  the  tendency  to  change  their  emphasis 
from  Independenc}'  to  Fellowship.  The  regulative 
principle  of  their  polity  in  the  past  has  been  the 
absolute  independence  of  the  local  church.  On 
that  their  emphasis  has  been  placed.  Anything 
which  looked  like  the  faintest  encroachment  of 
authority  has  been  instantly  and  strenuously  re- 
sisted. In  former  days  there  was  reason  for  vig- 
ilance, and  the  independence  of  the  local  church 
was  the  citadel  of  its  strength  :  but  in  course  of 
time  that  happened  which  often  happens, — loyalty 
to  a  principle  led  to  the  abuse  of  that  principle  ; 
consequently  the  English  churches  were  formerly 
without  that  consciousness  of  unity  which  was 
needed  in  order  that  they  might  be  helpful  to 
each  other,  and  that  the  best  work  for  Christ  and 
His  Kingdom  might  be  accom.plished.  The  for- 
mation of    County    Associations    began    soon    after 


I/O  THE  PILGRTM  TN  OLD  EA'GLAA'D. 

the  year  iSoo.  During  ihc  last  quarter  of  a  century 
independenc}'  has  very  generally  been  giv^ing  place 
to  fellowship.  The  Union  of  England  and  Wales 
has  stimulated  this  movement,  but  not  so  much 
as  have  the  County  Associations.  The  pressure  of 
social  problems  has  also  helped  to  develop  the  rap- 
idly growing  consciousness  of  solidarity.  While 
here  and  there  churches  still  preserve  their  old 
independence,  most  of  them  have  ceased  to  be  sen- 
sitive lest  fellowship  may  be  the  first  step  toward 
authority.  All  that  is  implied  in  the  name  "  Inde- 
pendent "  has  been  won,  and  won  forever,  and  by 
no  possibility  can  be  lost ;  and  now  the  movement 
is  "  from  liberty  to  unity."  The  growth  of  the 
County  Associations,  the  place  occupied  by  the 
Union  of  England  and  Wales,  the  influence  of  the 
most  prominent  men,  and,  we  may  add,  the  influ- 
ence of  American  Congregationalism,  have  all  con- 
tributed something  toward  the  change  which  is  evi- 
idently  in  progress. 

This  change  is  significantly  indicated  by  the  fact 
that,  whereas,  a  few  years  ago  the  English  churches 
were  usually  called  "Independent,"  they  are  now 
almost  universally  called  "  Congregational."  The 
Congregational  idea  indicates  fellowship.  The  esprit 
dc  corps,  to  which  reference  has  already  been  made, 
in  so  far  as  it  has  existed  in  the  past,  was  developed 
by  loyalty  to  the  principle  of  independency,  and 
by  the  pressure    of  the  circumstances  in   which  the 


THE  PRESENT  COA'DTTIOX.  I71 

l)ci)j)Ic  lived.  Those  who  reah'se  tliat  great  forces 
are  banded  aganist  them  instinctively  draw  together. 
In  these  later  days  a  more  gracious  temper  is  man- 
ifesting itself,  and  those  who  have  the  spiritual  life, 
as  if  drawn  by  unseen  attractions,  are  coming  into 
fuller  and  more  helpful  association.  The  move- 
ment which  has  various  names,  but  of  which  the 
English  papers  for  the  past  two  or  three  years  have 
been  full — called  now  "  Federated  Independency," 
and  now  "The  One  Church  in  One  Town  Move- 
ment " — is  an  illustration  of  the  grow  th  of  fellow- 
ship. "  Federated  Independency "  means  local 
churches  uniting  in  a  common  work,  and  the  "  One- 
Church-in-One-Town  "  does  not  mean  one  building 
in  one  city,  but  the  organisation  of  all  Congrega- 
tionalists  of  a  single  municipality  in  one  body  for  the 
advancement  of  the  cause  in  which  all  are  engaged, 
and  as  a  step  toward  the  larger  organisation  of  all 
Christians,  for  which  so  many  are  alread)-  pra}-ing  and 
some  even  confidently  expecting. 

These  are  some  of  the  more  salient  features  which 
present  themselves  in  a  study  of  contemporary 
English  Congregationalism.  No  denomination  in 
the  world  is  more  intensel)-  alive  to  the  importance  of 
social  questions,  which  have  been  trul\-  called  the 
questions  of  our  time.  As  Baldwin  ]^ro^\  n  put  it  in 
1879,  "The  kingdom  of  man  is  at  hand,  and  the 
F.nglish  churches,  English  scholars  and  English  min- 
isters are    devoting   themselves    to  these  questions 


1/2  THE  PILGRIM  IX  OLD  F.A'GLAXD. 

with  unsurpassed  earnestness."  If  a  great  London 
pulpit  is  to  be  filled  there  is  quite  as  much  eager- 
ness to  know  the  candidate's  views  concerning  so- 
ciology as  concerning  theology.  Is  he  loyal  to 
humanity?  Is  he  ready  to  work  heart  and  soul  for 
uplifting  the  millions  from  vice  and  crime?  The 
Parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan  seems  to  have 
gotten  into  the  blood  of  the  Nonconformists  of 
England.  The  emphasis  of  the  churches  has  been 
on  independency,  but  that  is  now  giving  place  to 
the  fellowship  of  independent  Christian  communi- 
ties united  in  the  service  of  man,  and  thus  in  the 
worship  of  God.  In  the  missionary  enterprise  of 
the  local  church,  in  their  enthusiasm  and  equip- 
ment for  work,  the  descendants  of  the  Pilgrims 
in  England  are  unsurpassed  among  Christian  com- 
munions. 

The  points  of  contrast  in  ecclesiastical  organisa. 
tion  between  the  English  and  American  churches 
are  many  and  striking,  and  yet  no  more  than  would 
be  expected  from  the  differing  circumstances  in 
which  the  people  have  lived  and  do  live.  It  is 
always  difificult  for  those  who  dwell  in  one  land  fully 
to  appreciate  the  work  of  those  whose  homes  are  in 
other  lands,  and  therefore  in  this  lecture  I  have 
tried  to  expound  rather  than  to  criticise.  Doubt- 
less there  are  many  elements  of  weakness  in  English 
Congregationalism — as  there  are  in  all  other  forms 
of     polity;    doubtless    many    of    its    tendencies    if 


THE  rKKSEXT  COXn/T/OjV.  1 73 

imported  into  the  freer  air  of  America  would  cause 
disturbance.  The  task  of  the  expositor  however  is 
far  more  agreeable,  and  in  this  instance  far  more 
profitable,  than  that  of  the  critic.  Among  the 
grand  divisions  of  the  Christian  host  which  is  stead- 
ily moving  toward  the  conquest  of  the  world  for 
Christ  with  fidelity  to  the  essential  truth  of  the 
Christian  revelation,  in  absolute  loyalty  to  the 
Master  himself,  none  arc  more  faithful  than  the 
descendants  of  these  Pilgrims  who  remained  in  Old 
England  ;  none  are  working  more  patieatly  for  the 
triumph  of  the  principles  for  which  the  fathers  died  ; 
none  are  more  consecrated  to  the  service  of  God 
and  man,  and  none  are  facing  the  future  with  more 
confident  and  glad  anticipation. 

As  these  words  are  penned  a  great  shadow  comes 
from  across  the  Atlantic.  All  who  are  interested  in 
the  struggle  for  ecclesiastical  liberty  in  our  times,  and 
a  still  larger  number  in  many  lands  by  whom  Chris- 
tian manhood  is  more  highly  prized  than  denomina- 
tional affiliation,  are  pained  by  the  sad  news  that 
Henry  Allon,  the  accomplished  pastor  of  Union 
Chapel,  Islington,  and  a  great  and  honoured  leader 
among  English  Nonconformists,  has  been  called  from 
the  earth.  He  was  a  superb  example  of  what  modern 
English  Dissent  is,  and  of  the  quality  of  men  which 
it  makes.  Others  in  various  departments  of  our 
ecclesiastical  life  have  been  greater  than  he,  but  no 
man  in  recent  times  has  more  rarely  combined  lofty 


1/4  THE  riLGKIM  IN  OLD  EXGLAND. 

devotion  to  principle,  finished  and  beautiful  culture, 
high  and  fine  spirituality,  with  all  those  qualities  of 
"  sweetness  and  light "  which  Matthew  Arnold 
would  have  been  slow  to  believe  could  be  found  in 
a  Nonconformist.  For  nearly  fifty  years  he  minis- 
tered in  one  of  the  largest  churches  in  London. 
His  influence  has  been  felt  in  all  departments  of  Eng- 
lish thought  and  service.  He  was  the  editor  of  the 
"  British  Quarterly  Review,"  a  friend  of  Dean 
Stanley  and  Gladstone,  tuice  chairman  of  the  Con- 
gregational Union  of  England  and  Wales,  a  literary 
and  musical  critic  of  acknowledged  eminence.  An 
urbane  gentleman,  a  delightful  companion,  a  sym- 
pathetic friend  who  won  his  way  into  all  sorrow  and 
suffering  as  instinctively  as  the  sun  shines  in  the 
darkness,  a  broad  and  liberal  theologian,  one  who 
insisted  on  his  right  to  do  his  own  thinking,  and 
defended  others  in  their  right  to  do  the  same  ; 
the  pastor  of  a  church  composed  of  the  wealthy 
and  cultured  in  which  the  element  of  worship 
was  carried  to  its  finest  development,  and  yet  where 
the  poor  and  the  outcast  were  never  forgotten, — 
his  name  will  long  be  honoured,  not  only  among 
Nonconformists  but  also  among  all  who  have  known 
anything  of  the  development  of  spiritual  and  social 
life  in  England  in  the  nineteenth  century.  No 
more  just  or  well-deserved  tribute  can  be  paid  to  the 
vitality  and  power  of  English  Congregationalism 
than  to  say  that  while  he  lived  Henry  Allon  was  a 


THE  PRESEXT  COXDITIOX. 


175 


true  representative  of  its  spirit  and  its  workings  ami 
ni)\v  that  lie  has  gone  others  remain  worthy  to  wear 
his  mantle  and  to  take  up  his  ministry. 


V. 
CREEDS. 


"  In  the  first  place,  such  symbols  have  seldom  carried  the  unani- 
mous assent  of  those  adopting  them.  Even  the  Cambridge  Platform 
was  avowedly  held,  as  to  some  points,  in  the  beginning,  and  stil! 
more  decidedly  in  the  generation  after,  only '  for  substance  of  doctrine.' 
In  the  second  place,  no  one  generation  of  churches  can  possibly  have 
any  authority  to  impose  any  creed  or  polity,  however  dear  to  itself, 
upon  the  churches  of  another  generation — to  whom  God  may  be 
pleased  to  give  a  clearer  understanding  of  His  will." 

— Dr.  Henry  M.  Dexter. 

"  Because  on  some  special  scientific  path  I  can  proceed  no  farther 
than  to  this  particular  point,  does  that  imply  that  the  road  ends 
there?" — Rothe. 

"No  chemist  has  prospered  in  the  attempt  to  crystallise  a  religion. 
It  is  endogenous,  like  the  skin,  and  other  vital  organs.  A  new  state- 
ment every  day.  The  Prophet  and  Apostle  knew  this,  and  the  Non- 
conformist confutes  the  Conformists  by  quoting  the  texts  they  must 
allow.  It  is  the  condition  of  a  religion  to  require  religion  for  its 
expositor." — Emerson. 


V. 

CREEDS.  * 

The  CongregcUional  theory  of  ecclesiastical  polity 
admits  of  no  general  creed  for  all  the  churches. 
There  is  no  Congregational  denomination  :  what  is 
called  by  that  name  is  in  reality  a  congeries  of  local 
churches;  and  no  movement  toward  fellowship  on 
either  side  of  the  Atlantic  has  yet  limited,  in  the 
slightest  degree,  their  autonomy.  Independent 
ecclesiastical  societies  are  of  necessity  independent 
in  the  matter  of  creeds,  as  well  as  in  other  things 
which  concern  their  life  and  government.  Conse- 
quently, there  are  Confessions  of  Faith  which  are 
supposed  to  represent  the  theological  belief  of  the 
churches  in  various  localities,  but  there  is  no  one 
which  is  authoritative  for  others  than  those  who 
choose  to  make  it  binding.  In  the  nature  of  things, 
if  a  commission  were  appointed  for  the  purpose  of 
devising  a    General    Confession,    to    whicii    all    the 

*The  Theological  Outlook  among  the  English  Congregational 
Churches  is  treated  in  another  chajiter  of  this  l)onk,  and  is  therefore 
only  casually  touched  on  in  this. 


l8o  THE  FILGRhM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

churches  should  be  expected  to  conform,  its  work 
would  be  a  failure ;  for,  the  moment  it  was  framed 
and  an  attempt  was  made  to  impose  it  upon  the 
churches,  the  intrusion  would  be  resented,  or  the 
constitution  of  the  churches  themselves  would  be 
changed.  They  might  become  Presbyterian  or 
Episcopalian,  but  such  a  document  could  never  gov- 
ern the  action  of  Congregational  churches  unless  by 
a  distinct  vote  each  local  church  chose  to  adopt 
it ;  and  even  then  the  churches  would  be  at  liberty 
to  modify  it  whenever  they  might  choose,  without 
consultation  v/ith  their  neighbours.  The  Congrega- 
tional usage  in  England  and  America  has  been  for 
local  churches  to  formulate  their  own  confessions  of 
faith,  if  they  desire,  and  then  for  the  question  of  the 
substantial  orthodoxy  of  those  documents  to  be  de- 
termined by  the  churches  whose  fellowship  is  sought. 

The  English  churches  are  more  independent  than 
the  American,  and  hitherto  the  question  of  fellow- 
ship has  occupied  their  attention  but  little.  Many 
churches  have  no  formal  articles  of  faith.  A  substi- 
tute much  resorted  to  in  the  past  has  been  the  Trust 
Deed  with  its  "  Doctrinal  Schedule." 

The  Baptist  churches  are  as  distinctively  "  Con- 
gregational "  as  those  which  bear  the  name.  They 
are  the  children  of  the  Independents,  and  in  them 
is  seen  the  natural  development  of  the  principles  for 
the  assertion  of  which  the  Free  Churches  exist. 
Very  few,  if   any.  Baptist    churches    have  doctrinal 


CREEDS.  l8l 

symbols.  Among  tlicni  there  is  a  general  consensus 
of  doctrine  ;  antl  their  churches  are  more  generally 
Calvinistic  than  those  of  any  other  denomination, 
but  they  have  been  kept  so  by  tradition  and  b)'  a 
kind  of  spiritual  attraction,  rather  than  by  uniformity 
in  creedal  requirement.  We  search  in  \-ain  for  any 
distinctive  confession  of  faith  which  is  representative 
of  the  Baptist  churches.  There  have  been  indi\id- 
ual  or  local  pronunciamentos  in  England,  as  that  of 
1688,  and  two  or  three  in  the  United  States,  like 
the  New  Hampshire  Confession  of  1833;  but  none 
have  authority;  all  are  of  limited  influence;  and 
when  a  Baptist  is  asked  concerning  his  creed  he 
usually  replies  "  The  Bible  is  our  creed." 

The  history  of  English  Congregationalism  indi- 
cates that  there  has  been  a  gradual  escape  from  the 
traditions  of  Presbyterianism  concerning  tlie  ini[)or- 
tance  of  doctrine  as  a  test  of  the  spiritual  life.  Dur- 
ing the  early  }'ears  of  the  Puritan  Revolution  the 
preeminent  spiritual  force  came  from  Scotland, 
which  was  universally  Presbyterian.  In  England 
also  there  were  many  who  followed  the  teachings  of 
Thomas  Cartwright,  who,  like  John  Knox,  received 
them  direct  from  Calvin.  The  Puritan  Revolution 
in  the  first  instance  was  a  revolt  of  Presbyterian 
theology,  and  Presbyterian  theories  concerning  the 
Church  and  worship,  against  the  ceremonies  which 
prevailed  in  the  Established  Church.  It  was  a  revo- 
lution of  Presb\-terianism    against    Episcopalianism. 


1 82  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  EjYGLAA'D. 

At  first  those  who  represented  the  Parliament,  and 
who  were  not  Presbj'terians,  placed  little  emphasis 
upon  the  religious  element  in  the  controversw  The 
Scotch  and  the  Presbyterians  in  England  were 
united  in  seeking  the  emancipation  of  the  Church 
from  Episcopal  control.  They  were  opposed  to  the 
King,  not  because  they  objected  to  the  interference 
of  the  State  in  religious  matters,  but  because  the 
King  represented  the  Episcopal  theory  of  the  Church. 
On  the  other  hand,  John  Pym,  Sir  Harry  Vane  and 
John  Hampden  were  fighting  for  the  freedom  of 
the  English  State  against  royalty.  With  them  it 
was  Parliament  against  the  King  ;  with  the  Scotch  it 
was  Presbyterianism  versus  Papac}' and  prelacy.  At 
first  the  forces  opposed  to  the  King  coalesced  with 
great  difficult)'.  The  Parliamentary  Army  was  a  host 
of  antagonisms.  The  Scottish  Presbyterians  were  in 
favor  of  "a  covenant";  the  English  party  were  in 
favor  of  "  a  league."  At  length  a  compromise  was 
made,  by  which,  as  Dr.  Stoughton  finely  says,  "  It 
was  determined  that  the  Scotch  bond  should  be  a 
league  for  civil  purposes,  and  a  covenant  for  religious 
ones."  By  the  "  Scotch  bond  "  he  means  the  treaty 
which  bound  the  English  and  the  Scotch  together 
in  their  opposition  to  the  King.  The  Scotch  were 
narrow  and  bigoted  ;  the  English  were  tolerant  and 
mystical.  In  the  objects  at  which  they  aimed  the 
two  parties  were  far  apart,  as  events  subsequent!}- 
proved.     One  was  for  a  Presbyterian  State,  with  its 


CREEDS.  183 

creeds,  and  rules  of  binding  authority  on  all  the 
citizens ;  the  other  advocated  separation  between 
Church  and  State,  the  first  step  of  which  was  to  get 
rid  of  the  King. 

When  the  Revolution  was  well  under  way  "the 
Puritan  clergy,  in  the  December  of  1641,  asked  that 
ecclesiastical  matters "  (which  were  the  subject  of 
controversy)  "  might  be  referred  to  a  Free  Synod, 
differing:  in  constitution  from  the  old  Convocation  of 
clergy.  In  October,  1642,  a  Bill  was  introduced  for 
that  purpose,  and  it  is  noteworthy  that  two  signifi- 
cant resolutions  in  connection  with  it  passed  the 
Committee  of  the  Commons:  namely,  that  the  vote 
against  bishops  should  be  appended  to  the  Bill,  thus 
foreclosing  attempts  for  the  revival  of  Episcopacy  ; 
and,  that  Pariiament  did  not  intend  to  abrogate  the 
Prayer  Book,  thus  leaving  a  door  open  for  the 
use  of  a  revised  liturgy."  -  This  Bill  was  intro- 
duced on  the  15th  of  October,  and  before  the 
month  ended  war  broke  out  at  Edgchill.  "  Before 
the  Assembly  met,  in  July,  1643,  Lord  Brooke  had 
been  killed  at  the  siege  of  Lichfield  in  the  month  of 
March  ;  John  Hampden  had  been  shot  on  Chal- 
grove  Field  in  the  month  of  June  .  .  .  Literally,  a 
life  and  death  struggle  was  going  on  ;  and  the  grave 
men  in  Genevan  gowns  or  plain  doublets,  who 
marched  through  the  Dean's  Yard  to  take  their 
places  in  the  now  world-renowned  Council  Chamber, 

*  Stougliton  "  Jiihilee  Lectures,"  p.  142. 


1 84  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

had  then  and  afterwards  not  only  to  contend  for 
truth  but  to  struggle  for  existence."  * 

In  the  midst  of  this  conflict,  when  Presbyterian 
ideas  as  to  the  Church  were  strongly  predominant,  the 
Westminister  Assembly  was  convened, — the  same 
which  formulated  the  Westminster  Confession  of 
Faith.  Its  original  object  was  the  revision  of  the 
Thirty-nine  Articles  of  the  Church  of  England ; 
later  came  an  order  commanding  it  to  take  in  hand 
the  Liturgy,  and  the  subject  of  ecclesiastical  disci- 
pline. A  study  of  the  proportion  of  parties  in  that 
Assembly  will  give  a  somewhat  clear  idea  of  the  in- 
fluences which  were  at  work  among  English  Non- 
conformists. A  few  moderate  Episcopalians  were 
appointed  to  the  Assembly:  among  them  four  Bish- 
ops ;  but  only  one  of  these  attended,  and  he  was 
present  but  once,  while  the  other  Episcopalians 
soon  dropped  ofT.  The  majority  of  the  members 
were  Presbyterians,  and  altogether  there  were  not 
over  ten  or  eleven  Independents.  Sixty-nine  in  all 
answered  to  the  roll-call  of  the  first  meeting.  In 
the  end  the  Revolution  was  won  by  the  Independ- 
ents, who  differed  from  the  Presbyterians  not  so 
much  concerning  theological  doctrine  as  concerning 
ecclesiastical  polity.  Of  the  Independents  who 
helped  to  form  the  Westminster  Confession  five 
were  among  the  most  distinguished  members  of  the 
Assembly  :  Philip   Nye,  a   veritable  Martin  Luther 

*Stoughton  "Jubilee  Lectures,"  p.  143. 


CREEDS.  185 

in  spirit  ;  Jeremiah  Burroughs,  who  has  been  lik- 
ened to  Mclancthon  ;  William  Bridge,  an  encyclo- 
pedic scholar;  Sidrach  Simpson,  "who  was  first 
ejected  by  Archbishop  Laud  and  afterwards  disci- 
plined by  the  Assembly";  and,  last  of  the  group, 
Thomas  Goodwin,  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  dis- 
tinguished orators  and  thinkers  of  his  time,  a  man 
who  has  been  called  the  "Atlas  of  English  Inde- 
pendency." These  were  all  sturdy  Calvinists,  and 
however  much  they  may  have  differed  from  their 
brethren  concerning  ecclesiastical  affairs  they  were 
in  profound  sympathy  with  them  in  matters  of  doc- 
trine. Consequentl)',  when  the  Westminster  Con- 
fession was  formed  its  doctrinal  statements  were  ap- 
proved by  the  Independents,  and  accepted  by  them 
with  the  same  loyalty  as  by  the  Presbyterians ;  and 
a  few  years  later  when  the  Savoy  Confession  was 
adopted,  it  was  in  doctrine  almost  identical  with  that 
of  Westminster,  the  most  important  modifications 
being  those  which  concerned  church  government 
and  discipline. 

The  Westminster  Assembly  met  in  London  in 
1643  ;  the  Sa\oy  Assembly  met  in  the  Savoy  palace 
on  the  Strand,  in  London,  in  October,  1658.  The 
times  were  such  as  to  test  the  fidelity  of  the  most 
stalwart  spirits.  The  Savoy  had  been  convened 
with  the  consent  of  Cromwell,  but  only  twenty-six 
days  before  its  first  meeting  the  great  Protector  had 
passed    away.     Unrest  and  unccrtaint)'  were   in  the 


1 86  TIJE  riLGRIM  JN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

air,  and  yet  at  that  time  there  seems  to  have  been 
Httle  doubt  but  that  the  State,  as  Cromwell  had 
established  it,  would  be  permanent.  About  two 
hundred  delegates  from  one  hundred  and  twenty 
congregations  constituted  this  Assembly.  It  com- 
pleted its  work  in  eleven  days.  Among  its  most 
prominent  members  were  Goodwin,  Nye,  Bridge, 
Caryll,  Greenhill  and  John  Owen,  all  but  the  last 
of  whom  had  been  in  the  Westminster  Assembly. 
The  advocates  of  the  Calvinistic  system  of  theology 
were  predominant  in  the  Savoy  as  in  the  West- 
minster Assembly.  While  the  Presbyterians  sought 
to  compel  uniformity  of  religious  belief,  the  Inde- 
pendents, or  Separatists,  as  represented  by  Sir  Harry 
Vane  and  Cromwell,  were  relatively  tolerant  of  theo- 
logical differences.  The  tolerance  of  the  latter  was 
the  result  of  their  independency.  They  claimed  the 
right  to  think  and  act  for  themselves,  and  what  they 
asked  they  were  also  read)'  to  give.  While,  there- 
fore, they  differed  from  their  Presbyterian  brethren 
as  to  polity,  they  agreed  with  them  as  to  doc- 
trine, as  a  comparison  of  the  Savoy  with  the  West- 
minster Confession  makes  plain.  Thus  it  came  to 
pass  that  the  English  Congregational  churches  con- 
fessed their  faith  by  means  of  the  same  standards  as 
the  Presbyterians,  and  both  held  to  the  system 
called  Calvinistic. 

But    the   reaction   of    Independency  against    the 
rigid  doctrinalism  of  Scotland  began  about  the  )'ear 


CREEDS.  187 

1700,  as  is  seen  in  the  example  of  Isaac  Watts, 
and  gradually  there  grew  a  wide  divergence  from 
the  older  Calvinism.  Without  doubt  there  are  still 
living  in  England  many  elderly  Independents  who 
were  trained  in  the  Westminster  Catechism,  and 
who  can  give  correct  answers  to  all  its  questions, 
but  the  number  is  fast  diminishing.  These  Confes- 
sions have  been  practically  laid  aside,  although  from 
the  period  of  the  Commonweallh  to  the  earl\-  years 
of  the  present  century  they  were  generally  accepted 
as  true  exponents  of  the  theological  thought  of 
English  Independents. 

The  only  other  doctrinal  statement  which  can 
make  the  slightest  claim  to  being  called  an  ofificial 
utterance  of  Congregationalists  in  England  is  the 
Declaration  of  the  Congregational  Union  of  England 
and  Wales  which  was  adopted  in  May,  1833,  and 
which  is  printed  annually  in  the  Year  Book  of  the 
Union.  That  document  ought  always  to  be  read  in 
connection  with  the  Preliminary  Notes,  which  are 
as  follows : 

"I.  It  is  not  designed,  in  the  following  summary,  to  do  more 
than  to  state  the  leading  doctrines  of  faith  and  order  maintained 
by  Congregational  Churches  in  general. 

"  2.  It  is  not  proposed  to  offer  any  proofs,  reasons,  or  argu- 
ments, in  support  of  the  doctrines  herein  stated,  but  simply  to 
declare  what  the  Denomination  believes  to  be  taught  by  tlie 
pen  of  inspiration. 

"  3.  It  is  not  intended  to  present  a  scholastic  or  critical  con- 
fession of  faith,  but  merely  such  a  statement  as  anv  intelligent 


I  88  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

member  of  the  body  might  offer,  as  containing  its  leading 
principles. 

"4.  It  is  not  intended  that  the  following  statement  should 
be  put  forth  with  any  authority,  or  as  a  standard  to  which 
assent  should  be  required. 

"  5.  Disallowing  the  utility  of  creeds  and  articles  of  religion 
as  a  bond  of  union,  and  protesting  against  subscription  to  any 
human  formularies  as  a  term  of  communion,  Congregationalists 
are  yet  willing  to  declare,  for  general  information,  what  is  com- 
monly believed  among  them,  reserving  to  every  one  the  most 
perfect  liberty  of  conscience. 

"  6.  Upon  some  minor  points  of  doctrine  and  practice,  they, 
(hffering  among  themselves,  allow  to  each  other  the  right  to 
form  an  unbiassed  judgment  of  the  Word  of  God. 

"  7.  They  wish  it  to  be  observed,  that,  notwithstanding  their 
jealousy  of  subscription  to  creeds  and  articles,  and  their  disap- 
proval of  the  imposition  of  any  human  standard,  whether  of 
faith  or  discipline,  they  are  far  more  agreed  in  their  doctrines 
and  practices  than  any  church  which  enjoins  subscription  and 
enforces  a  human  standard  of  orthodoxy :  and  they  believe  that 
there  is  no  minister  and  no  church  among  them  that  would 
deny  the  substance  of  any  one  of  the  following  doctrines  of 
religion,  though  each  might  prefer  to  state  his  sentiments  in  his 
own  way." 

These  two  confessions,  the  Savoy  and  that  pub- 
lished in  the  Year  Book,  are  the  only  English  Con- 
•rresfational  creeds  of  more  than  local  significance. 
Neither  of  them  has  any  atithority,  and  neither 
has  wide  acceptance  at  the  present  time,  although, 
when  adopted,  probably  both  fairly  represented  the 
doctrinal  position  of  the  ministers  and  the  churches. 


CREEDS.  189 

The  second  may  be  called  moderately  Calvinistic— 
wluitcvci-  that  very  convenient  term  may  signify.     It 
affirms  that  the  Congregational  churches  believe  the 
Scriptures   of  the  Old  and   New  Testament   to  be 
divinely  inspired,  and  of  supreme  authority.     The 
doctrine  of  The  Trinity  is  not  stated  with  Calvinistic 
clearness.     It  is  as  follows  :  "  They  believe  that  God 
is  revealed  in  the  Scriptures  as  the  Father,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy   Spirit,  and  that   to  each  are  attribu- 
table the  same    divine  properties  and    perfections. 
The     doctrine  of  the    Divine  existence,  as    above 
stated,    they   cordially  believe,  without  attempting 
fully  to  explain."     What  is  commonly  called  "  Orig- 
inal   Sin"  is    described    as  "a   fatal    inclination   to 
moral  evil."     The  teaching  concerning  the  person  of 
Christ  is  that  "  He  is  equal  with  the  Father,  and  '  the 
express  image  of  His  person  ; '  that  He  revealed  the 
whole  mind  of  God   for  our  salvation  ;  and  that  by 
His  obedience  to  the  Divine  law  while  He  lived,  and 
by  His  sufferings  unto  death.  He  meritoriously  'ob- 
tained eternal  redemption  for  us,'  having  thereby  vin- 
dicated and  illustrated  Divine  justice,  '  magnified  the 
law,'  and  '  brought   in   everlasting  righteousness.'  " 
Concerning    Eschatology  the    teaching    is    that  the 
process  of  sanctification   is  completed  on  the  earth, 
and  that  at  death  the  souls  of  the  righteous,  freed 
from  all  evil,  are  received  immediately  into  the  pres- 
ence of  Christ  ;  while    the  wicked  will  go  away  into 
everlasting  punishment. 


J 90  THE  FILGKIJf  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

These  are  some  of  the  salient  features  of  this 
Creed,  which  is  short,  and  as  good  as  such  mechan- 
isms usually  are.  It  contains  no  utterance  concern- 
ing the  questions  of  criticism  now  in  dispute  ; 
nothing  concerning  the  errancy  or  inerrancy  of  "  the 
original  autographs  ";  nothing  about  theories  of  the 
Atonement  ;  and  not  a  word  as  to  whether  those 
who  have  not  known  Christ  in  this  world  will  have 
an  opportunity  to  accept  or  reject  Him  in  the 
future. 

This  Congregational  Union  Creed  is  a  kind  of 
patchwork,  a  makeshift — something  which  has  little 
of  the  horizon  of  modern  thought.  It  would  not 
have  been  strong  enough  for  the  sterner  thinkers  of 
earlier  times,  and  is  not  broad  enough  for  those  who 
dwell  in  the  full  light  of  modern  investigation.  The 
old  theology  as  embodied  in  the  Westminster  and 
Savoy  Confessions  had  a  grasp  and  grandeur  of  sug- 
gestion and  expression  which  is  wanting  in  most 
modern  creeds.  While  those  men  of  the  Puritan 
Revolution  attempted  more  than  was  possible  for 
human  powers  to  express  they  at  least  recognised 
the  vastness  of  their  task  ;  consequently,  there  is  in 
their  composition  a  loftiness  of  ideal,  a  dignity  of  lan- 
guage, a  largeness  of  suggestion,  and  a  certain  rhyth- 
mic quality  which  is  wanting  in  such  a  confession  as 
that  of  the  Union,  and  equally  in  most  wdiich  have 
been  issued  among  the  American  churches.  Doc- 
trinal mechanisms  get  cheaper  and  more  tawdry  the 


CREEDS.  191 

more  frequently  they  are  nianuf.icturcd.  Not  one 
in  modern  times  for  grandeur  of  thought  and 
splendor  of  diction  equals  the  ancient  creeds  of  the 
Church.  Creed-making  is  a  "  lost  art."  The  old 
theology,  whatever  defects  it  may  have  had,  can 
never  be  charged  with  having  belittled  the  high 
themes  of  which  it  treated.  The  most  that  can  be 
said  for  the  second  of  the  English  Creeds  is  that  it 
is  a  respectable  composition,  which  at  the  time  of 
its  writing  did  not  misrepresent  the  attitude  of  the 
English  Congregational  churches.  It  is  published 
year  after  year  not  because  it  is  revered  or  loved, 
but  either  because  it  would  be  too  much  trouble  to 
vote  it  away,  or  because  it  is  thought  worthy  of 
preservation  as  a  way-mark  on  the  road  along  which 
English  theological  thought  has  moved.  It  contains 
no  emphatic  mention  of  the  Fatherhood  of  God,  no 
reference  to  the  brotherhood  of  man,  no  recognition 
of  any  duties  to  the  State  or  to  society,  and  no 
mention  of  duties  of  any  kind  which  do  not  relate 
distinctly  to  what  is  technically  called  religious 
teaching,  or  religious  observance.  In  these  respects 
it  is  not  exceptional,  but  rather  typical.  It  is  no 
longer  of  \'alue  as  a  standard,  and  has  not  for  man)' 
years  been  truly  representative  of  English  Congre- 
gationalism. 

The  Savo)'  Confession  is  the  most  important 
general  statement  of  doctrine  ever  issued  in  the 
name  of  English  Congregationalism,  and  should  be 


192  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

studied  by  all  who  desire  to  understand  the  influences 
which  have  moulded  theological  thinking  in  Eng- 
land. It  was  prepared  by  a  Committee  all  but  one 
of  whom  had  been  members  of  the  Westminster 
Assembly.  It  contains  a  lengthy  Preface  (fourteen 
pages);  the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith  with 
sundry  changes  (twenty-two  pages);  and  a  Platform 
of  Church  Polity  (five  pages). 

The  doctrinal  part  of  this  Declaration,  with  the 
exception  of  those  passages  which  concern  church 
polity,  is  distinctly  a  mere  modification  of  the  West- 
minster Confession,  and  the  modifications  themselves 
are  insignificant.  The  Preface,  however,  is  somewhat 
remarkable  as  indicating  the  character  of  the  Inde- 
pendents in  the  time  of  the  Commonwealth.  They 
were  not  only  stalwart  in  their  doctrinal  opinions, 
but  also  tolerant  of  the  opinions  of  others,  as  is 
clearly  indicated  in  the  following  statement  of  the 
Preface.  After  speaking  of  the  duty  of  confession 
it  says :  * 

"And  accordingly  such  a  transaction  is  to 
be  looked  upon  but  as  a  meet  or  fit  medium  or 
means  whereby  to  express  that  their  common  faith 
and  salvation  are  no  way  to  be  made  use  of  as  an  im- 
position upon  any :  Whatever  is  of  force  or  con- 
straint in  matters  of  this  nature  causeth  them  to 
degenerate  from  the  name  and  natiire  of  Confessions, 
and  turns  them  from  being  Confessions  of  Faith 
*  The  italics  are  iu  the  Preface. 


CREEDS.  193 

into  cxactiotis  and  fniposi/ioiis  of  Faith."  *  Another 
utterance  worthy  of  more  than  i)a.ssing  notice  is  the 
following:  "  Let  this  be  added  to  give  full  weight 
and  measure,  even  to  running  over,  that  we  have  all 
along  this  season  held  forth  (though  quarrelled  with 
for  it  b}-  our  brethren)  this  great  principle  of  these 
times,  That  amongst  all  Christian  States  and 
Churches  there  ought  to  be  vouchsafed  a  forbearance 
and  mutual  indulgence  unto  Saints  of  all  persuasions, 
tJiat  keep  unto,  and  hold  fast  the  necessary  foundations 
of  faith  and  holiness,  in  all  other  matters  extra 
fundamental,  zvhether  of  Faith  or  Order."  \ 

The  Preface  then  proceeds  to  show  that  while 
Independents  are  tolerant  toward  others  they  are 
not  lax  in  their  own  views,  and  on  this  point  con- 
tains some  statements  which  merit  attention.  Ob- 
serve  the  following:  "  We  have  and  do  contend  for 
this,  That  in  the  concrete,  the  persons  of  all  such 
gracious  Saints,  they  and  their  errors,  as  they  are  in 
them,  when  they  are  but  such  errors  as  do  and  may 
stand  with  communion  witli  Christ,  though  they 
should  not  repent  of  them,  as  not  being  convinced  of 
them  to  the  end  of  their  days  ;  that  those,  with  their 
errors  (that  are  purely  spiritual,  and  intrench  an  ^ 
overthrow  not  civil  societies),  as  concrete  with  their 
persons,  should  for  Christ's  sake  be  borne  withal  by 
all  Christians  in  the  world;  and  they  notwithstand- 

*  Schaff,  "  Creeds  of  Christendom,"  Vol.  HI.,  p.  708. 
t  /bid,  p.  170, 


194  7y/i?  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAXD. 

ing  be  permitted  to  enjoy  all  Ordinances  and  spirit- 
ual Privileges  according  to  their  light,  as  freely  as 
any  other  of  their  brethren  that  pretend  to  the 
greatest  Orthodoxy  ;  as  having  as  equal,  and  as  fair 
a  fight  in  and  unto  Christ,  and  all  the  holy  things 
of  Christ,  that  any  other  can  challenge  to  them- 
selves."* 

That  so  many  persons,  in  so  short  a  time,  were 
able  to  come  to  agreement  in  their  statements 
of  such  truths  is  surely  a  phenomenal  fact,  and 
worthy  of  the  emphasis  which  it  has  received.  The 
harmony  of  the  Savoy  Assembly  to  this  day  is 
unparalleled.  The  sessions  lasted  but  eleven  days  ; 
a  large  part  of  the  time  was  spent  in  prayer  and 
consulting,  and  in  the  end  there  was  perfect  una- 
nimity. This  result,  furthermore,  was  reached  with- 
out previous  correspondence  or  consultation.  The 
Preface  says,  quaintly  and  beautifully,  that  their 
churches  had  been  like  ships  sailing  apart  and  alone 
on  "the  vast  ocean  of  those  tumultuous  times"; 
and  yet  while  in  the  articles  of  the  Declaration 
the  people  confessed  to  their  shame  that  they  had 
neglected  one  another,  they  acknowledged  "  that 
God  had  so  ordered  things  that  their  neglect  had 
redounded  to  His  glory,  in  that  when  they  came  to- 
gether they  found  that  they  were  in  perfect  unity." 
They  recognised  that  there  were  serious  divisions 
in  the  Christian  world,  and  boldly  affirmed  that 
*  Schaff,  "  Creeds  of  Christendom,"  Vol.   III.,  p.  710. 


CREEDS.  195 

those  divisions  would  have  been  less  if  there  had  been 
greater  liberty.  This  confidence  of  the  Savoy  divines 
in  liberty  is  most  surprising  when  the  narrowness 
and  bigotry  of  many  of  their  beliefs  are  considered. 

Concerning  the  doctrinal  position  of  the  Savoy 
Assembly  the  Preface  says  that  they  agree  for  sub- 
stance with  that  Confession  prepared  by  the  West- 
minster Assembl}' :  "To  which  Confession,  for  the 
substance  of  it,  we  fully  assent,  as  do  our  brethren 
of  New  England  and  the  churches  also  of  Scotland, 
as  each  in  their  General  Synods  have  testified."  * 
They  declare,  however,  that  only  those  things  were 
put  into  their  Confession  which  may  properly  be 
called  matters  of  faith  :  "  what  is  of  Church-order 
we  dispose  in  certain  Propositions  by  itself."  Observe 
the  following:  "We  say  further,  it  being  our  ut- 
most end  in  this  (as  it  is  indeed  of  a  Confession), 
humbly  to  give  an  account  what  we  hold  and  assert 
in  these  matters."  f 

The  difference  between  what  was  done  at  Savoy 
and  at  Westminster  is  now  evident.  The  Savoy 
divines  attempted  simply  to  give  an  account  of  the 
doctrinal  views  of  those  whom  they  represented, 
and  not  to  formulate  a  standard  for  the  churches. 
The  Westminster  divines,  on  the  other  hand,  pre- 
pared a  creed  which  was  in  the  nature  of  a  doctrinal 
test,  to  which  religious  teachers,  and  officers  in  the 

*  Schaff,  "  Creeds  of  Christendom,"  Vol.  III.,  p.  714. 
t/A/V,  p.  715 


196  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  EXGLAXD. 

church,  were  expected  to  subscribe.  Naturally,  this 
usage  affected  more  or  less  the  Independents  who 
accepted  the  same  doctrines,  and  it  has  taken  a  Ion"- 
time  for  Congregationalists  to  put  into  practice  the 
teaching  of  the  Preface  of  the  Savoy  Confession, 
and  to  regard  that  Confession  as  a  testimony  rather 
than  a  test.  Some  men  think  that  what  they  believe 
with  intensity  all  others  ought  to  accept  with  equal 
positiveness.  Against  that  fiction  English  Inde- 
pendency utters  its  strong  protest. 

The  subject  of  Church  Order,  about  which  there 
was  much  controversy  in  those  times,  is  now 
treated  with  a  notable  absence  of  narrowness,  and 
with  the  same  emphasis  on  the  obligation  of  tolerance 
that  has  usually  characterised  the  treatment  of  ques- 
tions in  theology.  At  this  point  I  venture  to  copy 
a  long  letter  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Stoughton  to 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Philip  Schaff,  and  by  the  latter  inserted 
in  his  valuable  work  on  "The  Creeds  of  Christen- 
dom." Dr.  Stoughton,  more  than  any  other  writer, 
may  be  called  the  historian  of  English  Independ- 
ency ;  his  books  on  this  subject  are  many,  and  are 
among  the  best  authorities  we  possess.  It  is  there- 
fore better  for  me  to  borrow  this  important  passage 
verbatim  from  Dr.  Schaff,*  than  to  refer  to  other  au- 
thors. It  should  be  said  that  in  the  years  that  have 
elapsed  since  Dr.  Stoughton's  letter  was  written 
there  have  been  marked  changes  in  theological 
*  Vol  I.  p.  834. 


CREEDS.  197 

thinking,  but   it  was   no   doubt    entirely  accurate   a 
score  of  years  ago.     Dr.  StouglUon  writes  : 

"  Looking  at  the  principles  of  Congregationalism,  which  in- 
volve the  repudiation  of  all  human  authority  in  matters  of 
religion,  it  is  impossible  to  believe  that  persons  holding  those 
principles  can  consistently  regard  any  ecclesiastical  creed  or 
symbol  in  the  same  way  in  which  Catholics,  whether  Roman  or 
Anglican,  regard  the  creeds  of  the  ancient  Church.  There  is  a 
strong  feeling  among  English  Congregationalists  against  the 
use  of  such  documents  for  the  purpose  of  defining  the  limits  of 
religious  communion,  or  for  the  purpose  of  checking  the  exercise 
of  sober,  free  inquiry ;  and  there  is  also  a  widely  spread  convic- 
tion that  it  is  impossible  to  reduce  the  expression  of  Christian 
belief  to  a  series  of  logical  propositions,  so  as  to  preserve  and 
represent  the  full  spirit  of  gospel  truth.  No  doubt  there  may 
be  heard  in  some  circles  a  great  deal  of  loose  conversation 
seeming  to  indicate  such  a  repugnance  to  the  employment  of 
creeds  as  would  imply  a  dislike  to  any  formal  definition  of 
Christian  doctrine  whatever  ;  but  I  apprehend  that  the  prevail- 
ing sentiment  relative  to  this  subject  among  our  ministers  and 
churches  does  not  go  beyond  the  point  just  indicated.  Many 
consider  that  while  creeds  are  objectionable  as  tests  and  imper- 
fect as  confessions,  yet  they  may  have  a  certain  value  as  mani- 
festoes of  conviction  on  the  part  of  religious  communities. 

"  The  Westminster  Assembly's  Catechism  never  had  the 
authority  in  Congregational  churches  which  from  the  beginning 
it  possessed  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland,  and  its  use 
in  schools  and  families  for  educational  purposes,  once  very 
common,  has  diminished  of  late  years  to  a  very  low  degree. 
The  Savoy  Declaration,  which  perhaps  never  had  much  weight 
with  Congregationalists,  is  a  document  now  little  known,  except 
by  historical  students.  The  Declaration  of  1833  was  prepared 
by  a  committee  of  the  Congregational  Union,  of  which  the  Rcv. 


198  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Dr.  Redford,  of  Worcesler,  was  a  member.  He,  I  believe, 
drew  up  the  Articles,  and  it  was  only  in  accordance  with  his 
well-known  character  as  a  zealous  antagonist  of  human  au- 
thority in  religion  that  he  introduced  the  following  passages  in 
the  preliminary  notes:     [See  pages  187-188  of  this  lecture.) 

■■  It  would  be  well  to  insert  a  statement  made  to  me  by  one 
who  from  his  official  position  has  the  best  means  of  ascertain- 
ing the  state  of  opinion  in  our  churches  : 

"'I  do  not  Ijelieve  that  the  Declaration  of  1833  could  now  with 
success  be  submitled  for  adopliou  to  an  Assembly  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Union  ;  in  part,  because  not  a  few  would  dispute  its  position, 
antl  in  part  because  many  more — I  believe  the  majority — without 
objecting  on  strictly  doctrinal  grounds,  would  object  on  grounds  of 
policy.' 

"  I  may  add  to  this,  in  the  words  of  the  Dean  of  Westmin- 
ster, who  wrote  them  on  the  authority  of  '  a  respected  Congre- 
gational minister,'  that,  beyond  care  in  the  matter  of  ordination, 
'  no  measures  are  adopted  or  felt  to  be  either  desirable  or  nec- 
essary for  preserving  uniformity  of  doctrine,  excepting  only 
that  the  trust-deeds  of  most  of  their  places  of  worship  contain 
a  reference  to  leading  points  of  doctrine  to  which  the  minister 
may  be  required  to  express  his  assent.  In  practice  this  is 
merely  a  provision  against  any  decided  departure  from  the 
faith  as  commonly  received  among  us,  the  trustees  of  the  prop- 
erty having  it  in  their  power  to  refuse  the  use  of  the  building 
to  any  minister  whose  teaching  may  be  contrary  to  the  doc- 
trines contained  in  the  deed.  Such  cases,  however,  are  ex- 
tremely rare.' 

"  In  some  cases  trust-deeds  make  reference  to  the  Declara- 
tion of  1833,  as  containing  the  doctrines  to  be  taught  in  sub- 
stance within  the  places  of  worship  secured  by  such  deeds  ; 
but  in  most  cases  a  brief  schedule  of  doctrines  is  employed,  of 
which  the  following  is  an  example  : 


CREEDS.  199 

"  '  I.  Tlic  divine  ami  special  inspiration  of  the  holy  Scriptures  of 
the  Old  and  N'ew  Testament,  and  their  supreme  authority  in  faith 
and  practice. 

'• '  2.  The  unity  of  God.  The  Deity  of  the  Father,  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"'3.  The  depravity  of  man,  and  the  absolute  necessity  of  the 
Holy  Spirit's  agency  in  man's  regeneration  and  sanctification. 

" '  4.  The  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  in  the  person  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ;  the  universal  sufficiency  of  the  atonement  by  His 
death;  and  the  free  justification  of  sinners  by  faith  alone  in  Him. 

"'5.  Salvation  by  grace,  and  the  duty  of  all  who  hear  the  gospel 
to  believe  in  Christ. 

"'6.  The  resurrection  of  the  dead  and  the  final  judgment,  when 
the  wicked  "shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishuien  t,  but  the 
righteous  into  life  eternal.'" 

"  The  Secretary  of  our  Chapel  Building  Society  informs  me 
that  '  one  reason  for  the  disuse  of  the  Declaration  may  be  its 
length,  and  the  circumstance  tliat,  to  put  it  beyond  question 
what  document  is  meant,  it  has  been  thought  it  would  be  need- 
ful to  embody  it  in  the  deed,  which  would  add  to  the  cost.' 

"  It  has  been  remarked,  on  the  authority  of  one  already  cited, 
'  that,  notwithstanding  the  absence  of  tests,  there  is  among 
Independents  a  marked  uniformity  of  opinion  on  all  important 
points,'  Perhaps  this  statement,  still  true  on  the  whole,  would 
require  more  qualification  than  it  did  some  years  ago.  There 
are  among  us  a  few  men  of  mental  vigour  who  have  departed 
very  considerably  from  the  published  creeds  of  Congregational- 
ism. There  may  be  a  larger  number  whose  opinions  are  of  an 
.A.rminian  cast ;  but,  again  to  use  language  supplied  by  a 
friend,  in  whom  I  place  confidence  as  to  this  subject :  '  It  would 
still  be  fair,  I  think,  to  describe  our  ministry  as  moderately 
Calvinistic.  An  immense  majority  of  the  ministers  are  so.  An 
impression  to  the  contrary  has,  I  am  aware,  become  prevalent ; 
but  that  is  owing,  I  believe,  to  the  fact  that  the  greater  number 


200  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

of  the  men  who  have  departed  from  the  Calvinistic  type  hold 
prominent  positions,  and  have  "  the  habit  of  the  pen.'"  It  is  a 
difficult  and  delicate  task  to  report  the  state  of  large  religious 
communities  among  whose  members  there  exist  some  diver- 
sities of  opinion.  One  person  biassed  by  his  own  predilections 
will  give  one  account,  and  another  person  under  an  influence 
of  the  same  kind  will  give  another. 

"  In  what  I  have  said  I  have  endeavoured  to  be  as  impartial  as 
possible  ;  and,  to  give  the  more  weight  to  my  statements,  I 
have  sought  the  assistance  of  official  brethren  who  have  wider 
means  of  information  than  I  possess,  and  who  may  look  at 
things  from  points  of  view  not  exactly  identical  with  my  own." 

An  understanding  of  the  doctrinal  attitude  of 
early  English  Congregationalists  necessitates  careful 
study  of  the  Westminster  Confession,  but  nothing 
gives  a  truer  insight  into  the  ecclesiastical  and 
spiritual  temper  of  their  leaders  than  the  Preface 
of  the  Savoy  Confession.  Those  Pilgrims  of  Old 
England  were  worthy  brethren  of  the  Pilgrims  who 
laid  the  foundations  of  religious  liberty  on  Ply- 
mouth Rock.  In  various  periods  of  the  Pilgrim 
history  different  theological  systems  have  been  In 
the  ascendant.  First  an  austere  type  of  Calvin- 
ism won  almost  universal  acceptance.  In  time 
that  gave  place  to  a  rationalising  tendency,  Avhich 
In  the  eighteenth  century  was  followed  by  a  gen- 
eral decadence  of  spiritual  life.  Then  came  the 
Evangelical  Revival  led  by  the  Wesleys  and  White- 
field,  which  made  itself  felt  in  the  Congregational 
churches   quite  as   much   as   in   the  Establishment 


CREEDS.  20 1 

and  which  resulted  in  strengthening  the  hold  of 
professing  Christians  on  tlie  fundamental  truths 
of  the  Christian  religion,  quite  as  distinctly  as  in 
awiikening  the  dormant  spiritual  life  ;  but  those 
truths  had  no  longer  the  same  Calvinistic  colouring. 

In  later  }-ears,  in  consequence  of  the  influence  of 
the  Evangelical  Revival,  the  advancement  of  science, 
a  better  understanding  of  the  universe,  a  more  intel- 
ligent reading  of  the  Scriptures,  and  of  the  immense 
pressure  of  the  terrible  social  conditions,  there  has 
been  a  change  in  the  thinking  of  Christian  scholars 
in  England  amounting  almost  to  a  revolution. 
Now,  the  Immanence  of  God  is  emphasised  rather 
than  the  Transcendence  ;  now.  Fatherhood  has  taken 
the  place  of  Sovereignty,  except  with  those  thinkers 
who  are  wise  enough  to  see  that  in  any  adequate 
system  of  theology  there  must  be  a  sj'nthcsis  of 
both  ideas,  (for  the  King  is  Father,  and  the  Father 
is  King)  ;  now,  positive  declarations  concerning 
Eschatology  are  no  longer  made,  and  a  larger  num- 
ber both  of  ministers  and  laymen  believe  either 
in  Conditional  Immortality  or  in  Ultimate  Restor- 
ation. 

In  the  old  da\-,  the  duty  of  man  to  man,  and  of 
brotherhood  as  founded  on  Fatherhood,  had  no 
place  in  the  creeds,  but  if  confessions  were  now 
written  the  doctrine  of  human  brotherhood  wcndd 
have  a  conspicuous  place.  In  earlier  times  the 
Bible  was   received   as   the    Word    of   God,    though 


202  TJiE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

without  the  Hi^ht  wliich  has  fallen  upon  it  by  modern 
investiijations  ;  but  now  criticism  has  largely  modi- 
fied the  doctrine  concerning  Holy  Scripture,  al- 
though it  has  not  weakened  its  authority. 

In  the  midst  of  the  storm  and  stress  of  theological 
controversy,  one  doctrine  alone  remains  unchanged, 
and  that  concerns  the  person  of  our  Lord.  In  the 
Savoy  Confession,  in  the  Creed  published  in  the 
Year  Book,  and  in  the  hearts  of  almost  all  who  bear 
the  Congregational  name  in  Old  England,  belief  in 
the  absolute  Deity  of  Christ  is  fundamental.  In 
the  light  which  He,  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  sheds 
upon  humanity  and  eternity  all  problems  are  studied, 
with  unsurpassed  reverence  and  consecration.  Both 
ministers  and  churches  make  the  first  article  of 
their  creed,  and  the  faith  which  regulates  their  lives, 
the  opening  words  of  the  Gospel  according  to  St. 
John  : — "  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the 
Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God." 

Let  us  now  turn  from  Old  England  to  New  Eng- 
land. The  first  Confession  of  Faith  which  had  an)' 
relation  to  the  fellowship  of  churches  was  adopted 
at  Burial  Hill  in  1865,  and  that  is  called  a  "creed" 
by  a  misuse  of  language,  for  it  is  really  a  simple 
declaration  never  intended  for  confessional  pur- 
poses. But,  before  that,  various  councils,  more  or 
less  representative,  had  reafifirmcd  the  faith  of  the 
churches  as  expressed  in  the  Confessions  of  West- 
minster   and    Savoy.        This    was    repeated    several 


CREEDS.  203 

times  during  the  first  two  hundred  years  after 
the  hmding  of  the  Pilgrims.  Consequent!}'  while 
there  always  was  intense  theological  activity  on 
this  side  of  the  sea,  and  while  the  Congregation- 
alists  of  New  England  ha\'e  probably  made  more 
statements  of  faith,  representing  local  churches,  than 
were  ever  before  made,  no  new  declaration  was  issued 
in  the  name  of  all  the  churches.  The  Westminster 
Standard  of  Doctrine,  "with  the  exception  of  the 
sections  relating  to  synodical  church  government," 
were  accepted  in  the  New  World,  and  "  formerly  the 
Assembly's  Shorter  Catechism  was  taught  in  all  the 
schools  of  New  England."-  The  Cambridge  Plat- 
form deals,  almost  exclusivel)^,  with  questions  of 
polity.  It  was  adopted  in  a  meeting  of  "  The 
Elders  and  Messengers  of  the  Churches  assembled 
in  the  Synod  at  Cambridge,  in  New  England,  in 
June,  1648."  It  approved  the  Westminster  Confes- 
sion one  }'ear  after  its  publication  in  the  following 
minute  :  "  This  Synod  having  perused  and  consid- 
ered with  much  gladness  of  heart,  and  thankfulness 
to  God,  the  Confession  of  Faith  published  of  late 
by  the  reverend  Assembl}'  in  England,  do  judge  it 
to  be  very  hoi)-,  orthodox,  and  judicious  in  all  mat- 
ters of  faith  ;  and  do  therefore  freeh*  and  fully  con- 
sent thereunto,  for  the  substance  thereof.  On!\' 
in  those  things  which  have  respect  to  church  go\'- 
ernment  and  discii)line  we  refer  ourselves  to  the 
♦Schaff' s  "  Creeds  of  Christendom,"  Vol  I.,  p.  835. 


204  '^^^  riLGRLV  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Platform  of  Church  Discipline  agreed  upon  by  this 
present  assembly  ;  and  do  therefore  think  it  meet 
that  this  Confession  of  Faith  should  be  commended 
to  the  churches  of  Christ  among  us,  and  to  the  hon- 
oured court,  as  worthy  of  their  consideration  and  ac- 
ceptance. Howbeit,  we  may  not  conceal  that  the 
doctrine  of  vocation  passed  not  without  some  debate. 
Yet  considering  that  the  term  of  vocation  2iw6.  others 
b}'  which  it  is  described  are  capable  of  a  large  or 
more  strict  sense  or  use,  and  that  it  is  not  intended 
to  bind  apprehensions  precisely  in  point  of  order  or 
method,  there  hath  been  a  general  condescendenc}' 
thereunto.  Now  by  this  our  professed  consent  and 
free  concurrence  with  them  in  all  the  doctrinals  of 
religion,  we  hope  it  may  appear  to  the  world  that 
as  we  are  a  remnant  of  the  people  of  the  same  na- 
tion with  them,  so  we  are  professors  of  the  same 
common  faith,  and  fellow-heirs  of  the  same  common 
salvation."* 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  date  of  the  Ameri- 
can Cambridge  Synod  preceded  that  of  the  English 
Savoy  Assembly  by  ten  years. 

The  next  utterance  of  the  churches  of  New  Eng- 
land concerning  doctrine  was  made  by  the  Synod  of 
Boston  in  May,  1680.  It  adopted  and  published 
"  the  Savoy  Recension  of  the  Westminster  Assembly, 
together  with  the  Cambridge  Platform."  The  follow- 
ing is  from  the  Preface  to  its  Declaration: 
*  Schaff's  "  Creeds  of  Christendom,"  Vol  I.,  p.  836. 


CREEDS.  205 

"  Tliat  which  was  consented  to  by  the  Elders  and 
Messengers  of  the  Congregational  Churches  in  Eng- 
land, who  met  at  the  Savoy  (being  for  the  most 
part,  some  small  variations  excepted,  the  same  with 
that  which  was  agreed  upon  first  b}'  the  Assembl}- 
at  Westminster,  and  was  approved  by  the  S}nod 
at  Cambridge  in  New  England,  <^?//;;^;  1648,  as  also  b}' 
a  General  Assembly  in  Scotland),  was  twice  publicly 
read,  examined  and  approved  of ;  that  little  varia- 
tion which  we  have  made  from  the  one,  in  compli- 
ance with  the  other,  may  be  seen  by  those  who 
please  to  compare  them.  But  we  have  (for  the 
main)  chosen  to  express  ourselves  in  the  words  of 
those  reverend  Assemblies,  that  so  we  might  not 
only  with  one  heart,  but  with  one  mouth,  glorify 
God  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  * 

The  churches  of  New  England  had  not  yet 
emerged  from  the  conflict  which  culminated  in  the 
Puritan  Revolution  in  England.  They  gave  little 
attention  to  questions  of  doctrine.  Staunch  Calvin- 
ists  they  were,  indeed  almost  to  a  man,  but  their 
Calvinism  had  not  yet  worked  itself  to  its  logical  con- 
clusions— for  Calvinism  must  always  end  in  liberty, 
both  of  thought  and  person.  If  God  is  the  So\-- 
ereign,  and  Jesus  Christ  the  one  and  only  Mediator, 
democracy  in  State  and  Church  are  inevitable.  The 
fathers  of  New  England  were  so  busy  getting  pos- 
session of,  and  confirming,  the  rights  of  personal 
*Schaff's  "  Creeds  of  Christendom,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  837. 


206  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

liberty  that  they  did  not,  at  first,  see  to  what  ends 
they  would  logically  be  carried  by  the  principles 
which  they  had  adopted.  Ecclesiastical  questions 
occupied  attention  almost  exclusively  until  about 
1740,  the  time  of  "  The  Great  Awakening."  When 
the  leaven  of  Calvinism  had  reached  far  enou<ih  the 
doctrinal  problems  which  have  filled  the  minds  of 
New  England  theologians  for  two  centuries  began  to 
push  themselves  into  prominence.  At  first  the  ques- 
tion, Have  we  the  right  to  think  for  ourselves  ? 
engrossed  attention  ;  later  that  was  followed  by 
another  inquiry,  What  shall  we  think? 

The  Synod  of  Saybrook,  which  convened  in  Sep- 
tember, 1708,  would  never  have  been  held  except 
for  a  dispute  which  arose  concerning  questions  of 
ecclesiastical  procedure.  It  is  not  surprising  there- 
fore that  the  body  which  gave  to  the  State  of  Con- 
necticut the  strangest,  most  absurd,  most  illogical,  and 
now  most  obstructive  ecclesiastical  expedient  known 
to  American  Congregationalism,  namely,  "  The  Con- 
sociation," which  is  a  cross  between  Presbyterianism 
and  Independency,  should  have  made  very  little 
reference  to  doctrine.  That  Synod  agreed  to  accept 
the  deliverance  of  the  Synod  of  Boston,  which  Irad 
reafifirmed  the  Savoy  Confession.  It  "  also  accepted 
*  the  Heads  of  Agreement  assented  to  [in  1692]  by 
the  united  ministers  [of  England],  formerly  called 
Presbyterian  and  Congregational,'  and  so  virtually 
gave    indorsement    to    three    creeds    as    essentially 


CREEDS.  20;- 

teaching  the  same  system, — the  doctrinal  part  of  the 
Articles  of  the  Church  of  England,  the  Westminster 
Confession  or  Catechisms,  and  the  Confession  agreed 
on  at  the  Sa\'oy."  " 

After  the  Civil  War  (1865)  the  churches  in  various 
parts  of  the  United  States  felt  that  there  was  espe- 
cial need  for  consultation  and  co-operation,  in  view 
of  the  various  problems  which  faced  the  American 
Churches  and  the  American  State  as  the  result  of 
that  war,  and  of  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves. 
That  conviction,  which  was  first  publicly  voiced  in 
the  Convention  of  the  Congregational  Churches  of 
the  Northwest  meeting  in  Chicago,  finally  led  to  the 
fourth  General  Council  of  American  Congregation- 
alism, which  met  in  Boston  in  June,  1865.  A  Com- 
mittee had  been  informally  a[)pointed  to  prepare  a 
doctrinal  Declaration  of  I-'aith  for  presentation  at 
that  Council.  The  Committee  consisted  of  the  late 
Rev.  Joseph  P.  Thompson,  D.  D.,  of  New  York,  one 
of  the  ablest  and  most  scholarly  ministers  of  the 
American  pulpit ;  Rev.  E.  A.  Lawrence,  D.  D.,  a 
professor  at  East  Windsor  (Conn.)  Theological  Sem- 
inary ;  and  Rev.  George  P.  Fisher,  D.  D.,  of  Yale 
Theological  Seminary,  New  Haven.  The  report 
presented  by  this  Committee  was  referred  to  a  Com- 
mittee constituted  as  follows  :  Rev.  J.  O.  Fiske,  D.D., 
of  Maine  ;  Prof.  Daniel  J.  Noyes,  D.  D.,  New 
Hampshire  ;  Rev.   Nahum   Gale.   D.    D..  Massachu- 

*  Schaff's  "  Creeds  of  Christendom,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  837. 


208  THE  riLGK/M  LV  OLD  ENGLAND. 

setts;  Rev.  Leonard  Swain,  D.  D.,  Rhode  Island; 
Dr.  Albert  G.  Bristol,  New  York;  Rev.  John  C. 
Hart,  Ohio  ;  Dea.  Sherman  S.  Barnard,  Michigan  ; 
Rev.  George  S.  F.  Savage,  Illinois.  The  Committee 
was  subsequently  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  the 
following  Theological  Professors :  Samuel  Harris,  of 
Bangor;  Edwards  A.  Park,  of  Andover;  Edward  A. 
Lawrence,  of  East  Windsor;  Noah  Porter,  Jr.,  of 
New  Haven  ;  James  H.  Fairchild,  of  Oberlin  ;  Joseph 
Haven,  of  Chicago.  This  new  Committee  brought 
in  a  new  report,  which  was  not  rejected,  but  which 
was  laid  over  for  consideration. 

In  the  meantime  a  great  excursion  to  Plymouth 
had  been  arranged,  and,  on  a  glorious  day  in  June, 
one  thousand  and  forty-seven  persons  went  to  that 
town,  to  stand  together  in  the  cemetery  on  Burial 
Hill,  among  the  graves  of  their  Pilgrim  ancestors, 
whose  heroic  achievements  they  celebrated.  The 
place  and  its  memories  were  full  of  inspiration. 
When  the  Assembly  had  reconvened  at  Plymouth 
and  the  report  of  the  Committee  was  again  called  for, 
an  entirely  new  document  was  presented.  The  sen- 
timents of  the  first  report  were  all  there,  but  they 
were  expressed  in  a  vigorous  and  resonant  rhetoric, 
which  they  had  before  lacked  and  which  caught  the 
ear  and  enchained  the  attention  at  once.  Its  effect 
on  the  audience  was  instantaneous,  and  favourable. 
Some  opposed  its  immediate  adoption,  arguing 
that    action    so   important   should    be   preceded   by 


CREEDS.  209 

longer  time  for  consideration  ;  others  thought  that 
the  report  was  too  vague — a  form  of  words  intended 
to  evade  a  more  positive  utterance.  But  at  last, 
with  great  solemnity  and  an  electric  enthusiasm, 
the  report  was  adopted  "  for  substance,"  and  without 
an  opposing  vote.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  thi 
now  historic  document: 

"BURIAL  HILL  CONFESSION. 

"  Standing  by  the  rock  where  the  Pilgrims  set  foot  upon 
these  shores,  upon  the  spot  where  they  worshipped  God,  and 
among  the  graves  of  the  early  generations,  we.  Elders  and 
Messengers  of  the  Congregational  Churches  of  the  United 
States  in  National  Council  assembled  —like  them  acknowledg- 
ing no  rule  of  faith  but  the  Word  of  God— do  now  declare  our 
adherence  to  the  faith  and  order  of  the  apostolic  and  primitive 
churches  held  by  our  fathers,  and  substantially  as  embodied  in 
the  confessions  and  platforms  which  our  Synods  of  1648  and 
1680  set  forth  or  reaffirmed.  We  declare  that  the  experience 
of  the  nearly  two  and  a  half  centuries  which  have  elapsed  since 
the  memorable  day  when  our  sires  founded  here  a  Christian 
Commonwealth,  with  all  the  development  of  new  forms  of 
error  since  their  times,  has  only  deepened  our  confidence  in  the 
faith  and  polity  of  those  fathers.  We  bless  God  for  the  inheri- 
tance of  these  doctrines.  We  invoke  the  help  of  the  Divine 
Redeemer,  that  through  the  presence  of  the  promised  Comforter, 
He  will  enable  us  to  transmit  them  in  purity  to  our  children. 

"  In  the  times  that  are  before  us  as  a  nation,  times  at  once 
of  duty  and  of  danger,  we  rest  all  our  hope  in  the  gospel  of  the 
Son  of  God.  It  was  the  grand  peculiarity  of  our  Puritan 
fathers  that  they  held  this  gospel,  not  merely  as  the  ground  of 
their  personal  salvation,  but  as  declaring  the  worth  of  man  by 
the  incarnation  and  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  therefore 


210  THE  riLGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

applied  ils  principles  to  elevate  society,  to  regulate  education. 
to  civilise  humanity,  to  purify  law,  to  reform  the  Church  and 
the  State,  and  to  assert  and  defend  liberty ;  in  short,  to  mould 
and  redeem,  by  its  all-transforming  energy,  everything  that 
belongs  to  man  in  his  individual  and  social  relations. 

"  It  was  the  faith  of  our  fathers  that  gave  us  this  free  land  in 
which  we  dwell.  It  is  by  this  faith  only  that  we  can  transmit 
to  our  children  a  free  and  happy,  because  a  Christian,  common- 
wealth. 

"  We  hold  it  to  be  a  distinctive  excellence  of  our  Congrega- 
tional system  that  it  exalts  that  which  is  more  above  that  which 
is  less  important,  and  by  the  simplicity  of  its  organisation  facil- 
itates, in  communities  where  the  population  is  limited,  the  union 
of  all  true  believers  in  one  Christian  Church,  and  that  the  divi- 
sion of  such  communities  into  several  weak  and  jealous  socie- 
ties, holding  the  same  common  faith,  is  a  sin  against  the  unity 
of  the  body  of  Christ,  and  at  once  the  shame  and  scandal  of 
Christendom. 

"We rejoice  that,  through  the  influence  of  our  free  system  of 
apostolic  order,  we  can  hold  fellowship  with  all  who  acknowl- 
edge Christ,  and  act  efficiently  in  the  work  of  restoring  unity  to 
the  divided  Church,  and  of  bringing  back  harmony  and  peace 
among  all  'who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity.' 

"  Thus  recognising  the  unity  of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  all 
the  world,  and  knowing  that  we  are  but  one  branch  of  Christ's 
people,  while  adhering  to  our  peculiar  faith  and  order,  we 
extend  to  all  believers  the  hand  of  Christian  fellowship  upon 
the  basis  of  those  great  fundamental  truths  in  which  all  Chris- 
tians should  agree. 

"  With  them  we  confess  our  faith  in  God,  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  [the  only  living  and  true  God]  ;*  in 


*  The  words   in  brackets  were  inadvertently  omitted   in  the  vol- 
ume of  Proceedings,  but  inserted   in  the  text  of  the  Manual.     See 


CREEDS.  2  I  F 

Jcsiis  Clirist,  ihc  incarnale  Word,  who  is  exalted  to  be  our 
Redeemer  and  Kins;;  and  in  the  Holy  Comforter,  who  is  pres- 
ent in  the  Church  to  re'^enerate  and  sanctify  the  soul. 

"  With  the  whole  Church,  we  confess  tlic  common  sinfuhiess 
and  ruin  of  our  race,  and  acknowledj,je  that  it  is  only  through 
the  work  accomplished  by  the  life  and  expiatory  death  of  Christ 
that  believers  in  Him  are  justified  before  God,  receive  the  remis- 
sion of  sins,  and  through  the  presence  and  grace  of  the  Holy 
Comforter  are  delivered  from  the  power  of  sin  and  perfected  in 
holiness. 

"  We  believe  also  in  the  organised  and  visible  Church,  in  the 
ministry  of  the  Word,  in  the  sacraments  of  Baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper,  in  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and  in  the  final 
judgment,  the  issues  of  which  are  eternal  life  and  everlasting 
punishment. 

"  We  receive  these  truths  on  the  testimony  of  God,  given 
through  prophets  and  apostles,  and  in  the  life,  the  miracles,  the 
death,  the  resurrection  of  His  Son.  our  Divine  Redeemer— a 
testimony  preserved  for  the  Church  in  the  Scriptures  of  the 
Old  and  New  Testaments,  which  were  composed  by  holy  men, 
as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"Affirming  now  our  belief  that  those  who  thus  hold  '  one 
faith,  one  Lord,  one  baptism,'  together  constitute  the  one  Cath- 
olic Church,  the  several  households  of  which,  though  called  by 
different  names,  are  the  one  body  of  Christ,  and  that  these 
members  of  His  body  are  sacredly  bound  to  keep  '  the  unity  of 
the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace,'  we  declare  that  we  will  co- 
operate with  all  who  hold  these  truths.  With  them  we  will 
carry  the  gospel  into  every  part  of  this  land,  and  with  them  we 
will  go  into  all  the   world,  and  '  preach  the   gospel  to   every 

Congregational  QuarUrly,  Vol.  X.,  p.  377,  wliere  Dr.  Quint  shows  that 
they  belong  to  the  original  Mb. — Shaff,  "  Creeds  of  Christendom," 
Vol,  HI.,  p.  735. 


212  THE  rn^GRTM  hV  OLD  ENGLAND. 

creature.'  May  He  to  whom  'all  power  is  given  in  heaven  and 
earth  '  fulfil  the  promise  which  is  all  our  hope  :  '  Lo,  I  am  witli 
you  alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  World.'     Aincn." 

The  presentation  of  the  Declaration  which  was 
adopted  on  Burial  Hill  was  characterised  as  follows 
b)-  Dr.  John  P.  Gulliver,  now  a  professor  in  Andovcr 
Seminary,  but  then  a  pastor  in  Connecticut :  "  It 
was  an  audacious  proceeding  which  no  one  but  a 
soldier,  a  Democrat,  and  an  old-school  man — all  in 
one — could  possibly  have  attained  to."  *  The  Burial 
Hill  Declaration  is  not  a  creed,  and  was  not  intended 
to  be  binding  on  the  churches,  but  rather  to  express 
what  was  believed  to  be  the  common  faith  of  Con- 
gregationalists  at  that  time.  Its  composition  was 
a  happy  inspiration.  It  has  been  'used  by  many 
churches  for  purposes  for  which  it  was  never  de- 
signed, and  for  a  score  of  years  has  had  a  place  in 
numerous  Confessions  of  Faith.  That  it  was  not 
entirely  satisfactory,  however,  is  evident  from  the 
following  leaflet,  which  is  copied  from  the  original 
publication  now  in  the  Congregational  Library,  Bos- 
ton, entitled,  "The  Surprise  Party  of  Yesterday: 
Fraternal  Complaints  :  "  f 

"  (i)     It  was  not  currently  understood  in  the  coun- 

*The  New  York  liidependenf,  July  6,  1865.  The  reference  here  is 
to  Rev.  Alonzo  H.  Quint,  1).  D.,  then  of  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  who 
g.ive  to  the  report  its  final  form. 

t  Said  to  have  been  written  by  the  Rev.  E.  F.  Burr,  I).  D.,  of  Con- 
necticut. 


CREEDS.  213 

cil  that  the  subject  of  a  Uechiratioii  of  I^iilh  was 
to  be  brought  forwnrcl  for  settlement  at  ri)inoutli. 

"(2)  The  circumstances  of  tlie  place  were  such 
as  in  their  verj-  nature  to  preclude  a  fair  expression 
of  opinion,  and  among  large  numbers,  even  a  com- 
petent knowledge  of  what  was  passing. 

"  (3)  The  document  passed  upon  was  not  that 
legitimately  under  the  consideration  of  the  Council 
— but  that  document  mutilated,  deranged,  crazed. 

"  (4)  The  immense  promptitude  and  precipita- 
tion of  the  excellent  Vice-Moderator  were  contrary 
to  the  genius  and  usage  of  our  Ecclesiastical  Bodies, 
especially  in  dealing  with  matters  of  the  highest 
religious  moment. 

"(5)  As  matters  arc  now  left,  it  may  be  plausi- 
bly charged  that  the  Declaration  adopted  at  Ply- 
mouth  was  not  the  deliverance  of  the  National 
Council. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  Council  I  Shall  the  Here- 
after say  as  the  Present  already  does,  that  the  Dec- 
laration of  1865  was  passed  b}-  a  Pious  Fraud  ! 

"All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted  by  friends 
of  the  Report  of  the  Committee  of  Reference." 

On  November  17,  1871,  the  Triennial  National 
Council,  organised  to  provide  some  regularly  recur- 
ring general  assembly  of  representatives  of  the  local 
churches,  not  for  general  authority  but  for  mutual 
conference,   held  its  first  session  at   Oberlin,   Ohio. 


214  ^^^  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  RNGLAiYD. 

Tliat  Council  was  wise  enough  in  adopting  its  Con- 
stitution to  attempt  to  formulate  no  new  creed.  It 
made,  however,  a  brief  declaration  concerning  a 
doctrinal  basis  which  was  of  the  most  general  char- 
acter, and  practicall}'  left  to  the  local  bodies  repre- 
sented in  the  Council  the  responsibilit}-  of  determin- 
ing whether  they  had  aright  to  membership. 

The  messengers  of  the  churches  at  Oberlin  little 
understood  the  importance  of  their  action.  From 
the  time  of  that  Council  the  name  of  Calvin,  as  an 
authority  to  whom  the  descendants  of  the  Pilgrims 
owe  superior  deference,  disappears,  and  the  broader 
name  "  evangelical  "  takes  its  place.  Prior  to  that, 
Calvinism  had  been  the  distinguishing  characteristic 
of  Congregational  theology ;  and  those  who  were 
no  longer  Calvinists  in  the  old  sense  tried  to  delude 
themselves  and  the  public  with  such  phrases  as 
"  consistent  Calvinism,"  "  moderate  Calvinism,"  and 
"  modern  Calvinism."  At  Oberlin  the  representa- 
tives of  the  churches  frankly  assumed  the  catholic 
position.  They  denounced  no  sacred  symbol ;  they 
supplanted  no  old  standard  with  a  new  one ;  they 
simply  allowed  Calvin  to  take  his  place  among  the 
prophets  and  sages  of  all  the  Christian  centuries, 
while  they  brought  into  clear  relief  the  exact  truth, 
that  some  of  our  churches  are  Calvinistic,  some 
Arminian,  (more  of  them  neither,  consciously),  and 
all  of  them  evangelical. 

The  Oberlin  Declaration  is  as  follows: 


CREEDS.  2  I  5 

"  The  Congregational  churches  of  the  United  States,  by 
elders  and  messengers  assembled,  do  now  associate  themselves 
in  National  Council  : 

"  To  express  and  foster  their  substantial  unity  in  doctrine, 
polity,  and  work  ;  and 

"  To  consult  upon  the  common  interests  of  all  the  churches, 
their  duties  in  the  work  of  evangelisation,  the  united  develop- 
ment of  their  resources,  and  their  relations  to  all  parts  of  the 
kingdom  of  Christ. 

"  They  agree  in  belief  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  the  suffi- 
cient and  only  infallible  rule  of  religious  faith  and  practice ; 
their  interpretation  thereof  being  in  substantial  accordance  with 
the  great  doctrines  of  the  Christian  faith,  commonly  called 
Evangelical,  held  in  our  churches  from  the  early  times,  and 
sufficiently  set  forth  by  former  General  Councils. 

"  They  agree  in  belief  that  the  right  of  government  resides  in 
local  churches,  or  congregations  of  believers,  who  are  responsi- 
ble directly  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  One  Head  of  the 
Church  universal  and  of  all  particular  churches ;  but  that  all 
churches,  being  in  communion  one  with  another  as  parts  uf 
Christ's  catholic  Church,  have  mutual  duties  subsisting  in  the 
obligations  of  fellowship. 

"  The  churches,  therefore,  while  establishing  this  National 
Council  for  the  furtherance  of  the  common  interests  and  work 
of  all  the  churches,  do  maintain  the  Scriptural  and  inalienable 
right  of  each  church  to  self-government  and  administration  ; 
and  this  National  Council  shall  never  exercise  legislative  or 
judicial  authority,  nor  consent  to  act  as  a  council  of  reference." 

This  first  convention  of  the  triennial  National 
Council  was  hardly  completed  before  the  feeling 
began  to  be  manifest  that  the  new  body  ought  to 
justify  its  exi.stence    by  the  formulation  of    a  new 


216  THE  PILGRIM  hV  OLD  ENGLAND. 

creed.  The  meeting  at  Oberlin  in  1871  had  been 
its  beginning.  For  two  or  three  years  previous  to 
its  meeting  at  St.  Louis  in  1880  the  denominational 
papers  had  discussed  the  subject  of  the  new  creed, 
and  when  the  Council  convened  in  that  city  that 
question  was  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  the  dele- 
gates. Without  much  discussion,  and  with  no  acri- 
mony, it  was  voted  that  the  time  had  come  for  a 
statement  of  doctrine  which  should  fairly  represent 
the  theological  beliefs  of  our  American  churches. 
The  National  Council  Commission  accordingly  was 
constituted  and  instructed  to  prepare  a  document 
which  should  in  its  opinion  fairly  represent  the  faith 
of  the  churches,  and  also  be  a  statement  of  doctrine 
which  could  be  used  by  new  churches  which  wished 
to  be  in  the  Congregational  fellow.ship,  but  which 
contained  no  members  inspired  to  write  a  creed. 
All  who  read  that  "Creed  of  1883"  must  be  im- 
pressed with  its  wisdom,  catholicity  and  general 
fairness.  It  has  little  of  the  liturgical  quality  of  the 
Apostles'  and  Nicene  Creeds ;  it  has  none  of  the 
abstruse  metaphysics  of  the  Creeds  of  Nicaea  or 
Chalcedon  ;  but  it  is  a  clear,  strong,  manly  utterance 
concerning  the  doctrines  believed  in  the  American 
churches.  Prof.  George  P.  Fisher,  the  most  distin- 
guished theologian  on  the  Commission  says: 

"  The  •  Creed  Commission  '  was  instituted  by  the  National 
Council  held  at  St.  Louis  in  1880.  It  was  instructed  to  prepare 
'  a  simple,  clear  and  comprehensive  exposition  '  of  the  truths  of 


CRZEDi.  2 1 7 

the  Gospel  '  for  t!ic  inslriiotion  and  edification  of  our  churches.' 
A  brief  account  of  the  sessions  of  the  Commission  and  of  their 
prolonged  labours  may  be  found  in  an  editorial  in  the  Cotigre- 
gaiionalist  of  March  27th,  1884.  The  Creed  was  published 
early  in  March  of  that  year.  It  appeared  in  the  Independent  of 
March  6th.  It  was  signed  and  recommended  by  twenty-two  of 
the  Commissioners,  viz.:  by  Drs.  Julius  H.  Seelye,  Charles  M. 
Mead,  Henry  M.  Dexter,  Alexander  Mackenzie,  James  G. 
Johnson,  George  P.  Fisher,  George  L.  Walker,  George  T.  Ladd, 
Samuel  P.  Leeds,  David  B.  Coe,  William  M.  Taylor,  Lyman 
Abbott,  Augustus  F.  Beard,  William  W.  Patton,  James  H. 
Fairchild,  Israel  W.  Andrews,  Zachary  Eddy,  James  T.  Hyde, 
Alden  B,  Robbins,  Constans  L.  Goodell,  Richard  Cordley  and 
George  Mooar.  Dr.  Goodwin  had  not  attended  the  meetings 
of  the  Commission,  and  had  resigned  his  place  as  a  member. 
The  two  members  whose  names  are  not  appended  to  the  Creed 
were  Dr.  Karr  and  Dr.  Alden. 

"  Immediately  on  its  publication  the  Creed  was  received  with 
expressions  of  approbation  on  all  sides.  The  Independent  in  an 
editorial  said  :  '  There  is  not  a  Creed  of  its  length  put  forth  by 
any  other  denomination  which  so  exactly  represents  its  faith. 
It  is  vastly  nearer  to  the  belief  of  the  Congregational  churches 
than  the  Westminister  Confession  is  to  that  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  or  the  Augsburg  Confession  to  that  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  or  the  Heidelburg  to  that  of  the  Reformed  Church.  .  . 
It  represents  the  living,  actual  faith  that  is  held  in  the  last  dec- 
ades of  this  century.  .  .  It  is  an  admirable  statement  of  the 
Church's  faith.'  It  was  added  that  nothing  in  it  is  '  loose  or 
evasive.'  '  Notice  especially  the  admirable  language  of  the  last 
article,  and  its  sufficient  and  careful  eschatolog)-.'  The  follow- 
ing sentences  respecting  the  Commission,  from  the  Advajice  of 
March  6th,  reiterate  the  warmth  of  its  commendation :  '  Their 
work  speaks  for  itself.  We  believe  it  will  give  almost  universal 
satisfaction.  .  .     It    is   Congregational,  Catholic,  Christian.  .  . 


2  1 8  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

We  think  they  have  voiced  well  the  consensus  of  the  chtirches. 
.  .  Will  the  churches  generally  accept  the  Creed  ?  We  think 
they  will.'  Under  date  of  March  7th,  Dr.  Mark  Hopkins,  Presi- 
dent of  Williams  College  and  then  President  of  the  American 
Board  [of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions]  wrote :  '  The 
Commission  deserves  the  thanks  of  the  churches,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  their  work  will  be  generally  accepted.  .  .  The  Creed 
will  be  of  great  service  as  something  that  can  be  accepted  for 
substance  of  doctrine.'  {Christian  Union,  March  31st,  1884.) 
Dr.  R.  S.  Storrs  of  Brooklyn,  and  successor  to  Dr.  Hopkins  as 
President  of  the  American  Board,  wrote,  under  date  of  March 
14th  :  '  This  Creed  seems  to  me  fairly  to  represent  the  general 
convictions  of  the  Congregational  Churches,  so  far  as  I  know 
them,  and  to  be  well  adapted  for  use  in  the  organisation  of  such 
churches,  and  in  their  subsequent  religious  instruction.'  {Chris- 
tian Union,  March  20th,  1884.)  " 

These  selections  from  memoranda  by  Prof.  George 
P.  Fisher  show  that  beyond  the  most  sanguine 
anticipations  of  its  most  ardent  advocates  the  new 
creed  met  the  approval  of  the  churches  and  of  the 
Christian  community.  It  is  called  a  Creed,  and  yet 
in  reality  is  only  a  Declaration  of  their  opinion  con- 
cerning what  was  believed  in  the  American  Con- 
gregational churches,  appointed  for  that  purpose 
by  the  National  Council.  It  was  never  approved 
by  any  General  Council,  and  never  offered  to  one 
for  its  approval.  And  just  here  appears  a  pecul- 
iarity of  all  the  so-called  Creeds  of  the  Pilgrim 
churches.  No  one  has  had  the  least  authority — all 
have  been  "  declarations  "  concerning  what  is  ac- 
cepted rather  than  standards  of  what  sJioitld  be  be- 


CREEDS.  219 

lieved.  In  this  respect  the  doctrinal  utterances  of 
Congrcgationalists,  from  that  of  Savoy  to  that  of 
the  National  Council  of  1883,  differ  from  those  issued 
by  other  churches.  Most  other  Creeds  are  standards 
tobe  accepted,  or  tests  offered,  sometimes  to  all  who 
seek  membership  in  gi\-cn  denominations,  and  some- 
times onl}'  to  those  who  are  set  apart  to  rule  and  to 
teach:  the  Pilgrim  Creeds  are  statements  of  what 
is  supposed  to  be  the  belief  of  the  Pilgrim  churches. 
That  part  of  the  National  Council  Creed  which  is  in 
the  nature  of  a  Declaration  of  Faith  is  as  follows  : 

THE  REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSION. 

The  Commission  appointed,  under  the  direction  of  the  Na- 
tional Council  of  the  Congregational  churches  of  the  United 
States,  "  to  prepare,  in  the  form  of  a  Creed  or  Catechism,  or 
both,  a  simple,  clear,  and  comprehensive  exposition  of  the 
truths  of  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed  God,  for  the  in- 
struction and  edification  of  our  churches,"  herewith  submit  to 
those  churches  the  following 

STATEMENT   OF   DOCTRINE: 

I.  We  believe  in  one  God,  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of 
heaven  and  earth,  and  of  all  things  visible  and  invisible  ; 

And  in  Jesus  Christ,  His  only  Son,  our  Lord,  who  is  of  one 
substance  with  the  Father  ;  by  whom  all  things  were  made  ; 

And  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Lord  and  Giver  of  life,  who  is 
sent  from  the  Father  and  Son,  and  who  together  with  the 
Father  and  Son  is  worshipped  and  glorified. 

II.  We  believe  that  the  Providence  of  God,  by  which  lie 
executes  His  eternal  purposes  in  the  government  of  tlie  world, 
is  in  and  over  all  events  ;  yet  so  that  the  freedom  and  respon- 


220  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

sibility  of  man  are  not  impaired,  and  sin  is  the  act  of  the  creat- 
ure alone. 

III.  We  believe  that  man  was  made  in  the  image  of  God, 
that  he  might  know,  love,  and  obey  God,  and  enjoy  Him  for- 
ever ;  that  our  first  parents  by  disobedience  fell  under  the 
righteous  condemnation  of  God  ;  and  that  all  men  are  so  alien- 
ated from  God  that  there  is  no  salvation  from  the  guilt  and 
power  of  sin  except  through  God's  redeeming  grace. 

IV.  We  believe  that  God  would  have  all  men  return  to 
Him  ;  that  to  this  end  He  has  made  Himself  known,  not  only 
through  the  works  of  nature,  the  course  of  His  providence,  and 
the  consciences  of  men,  but  also  through  supernatural  revela- 
tions made  especially  to  a  chosen  people,  and  above  all,  when 
the  fulness  of  time  was  come,  through  Jesus  Christ  His  Son. 

V.  We  believe  that  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  are  the  record  of  God's  revelation  of  Himself  in  the 
work  of  redemption  ;  that  they  were  written  by  men  under  the 
special  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  that  they  are  able  to  make 
wise  unto  salvation  ;  and  that  they  constitute  the  authoritative 
standard  by  which  religious  teaching  and  human  conduct  are 
to  be  regulated  and  judged. 

VI.  We  believe  that  the  love  of  God  to  sinful  men  has 
found  its  highest  expression  in  the  redemptive  work  of  His 
Son ;  who  became  man,  uniting  His  divine  nature  with  our 
human  nature  in  one  person  ;  who  was  tempted  like  other 
men,  yet  without  sin  ;  who,  by  His  humiliation.  His  holy  obedi- 
ence. His  sufferings,  His  death  on  the  cross,  and  His  resurrec- 
tion, became  a  perfect  Redeemer  ;  whose  sacrifice  of  Himself 
for  the  sins  of  the  world  declares  the  righteousness  of  God,  and 
is  the  sole  and  sufficient  ground  of  forgiveness  and  of  recon- 
ciliation with  Him. 

VII.  We  believe  that  Jesus  Christ,  after  He  had  risen  from 
the  dead,  ascended  into  heaven,  where,  as  the  one  Mediator 
between  God  and  man,  He   carries  forward  His  work  of  sav- 


rKF.F.nS.  221 

ing  men  ;  that  lie  sends  the  Holy  Spirit  to  convict  tlicm  of  sin, 
and  to  lead  them  to  repentance  and  faith  ;  and  that  those  who 
throuji^ii  renewing  grace  turn  to  righteousness,  and  trust  in 
jesus  Christ  as  their  Redeemer,  receive  for  His  sake  the  for- 
giveness of  their  sins,  and  are  made  the  children  of  God. 

VIII.  \\'e  believe  that  those  who  are  thus  regenerated  and 
justified,  grow  in  sanctified  character  through  fellowship  with 
Christ,  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  obedience  to  the 
truth  ;  that  a  holy  life  is  the  fruit  and  evidence  of  saving  faith  ; 
and  that  the  believer's  hope  of  continuance  in  such  a  life  is  in 
the  preserving  grace  of  God. 

IX.  We  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  came  to  establish  among 
men  the  kingdom  of  God,  the  reign  of  truth  and  love,  right- 
eousness and  peace ;  that  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  Head  of  this 
kingdom.  Christians  are  directly  responsible  in  faith  and  con- 
duct ;  and  that  to  Him  all  have  immediate  access  without 
mediatorial  or  priestly  intervention. 

X.  We  believe  that  the  Church  of  Christ,  invisible  and 
spiritual,  comprises  all  true  believers,  whose  duty  it  is  to  associ- 
ate themselves  in  churches,  for  the  maintenance  of  worship, 
for  the  promotion  of  spiritual  growth  and  fellowship,  and  for 
the  conversion  of  men  ;  that  these  churches,  under  the  guidance 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  in  fellowship  with  one  another,  may 
determine-^each  for  itself — their  organisation,  statements  of 
belief,  and  forms  of  worship  ;  may  appoint  and  set  apart  their 
own  ministers,  and  should  co-operate  in  the  work  which  Christ 
has  committed  to  them  for  the  furtherance  of  the  gospel 
throughout  the  world. 

XI.  We  believe  in  the  observance  of  tlie  Lord's  Day,  as  a 
day  of  holy  rest  and  worship  ;  in  the  ministry  of  the  Word  ;  and 
in  the  two  Sacraments,  which  Christ  has  appointed  for  His 
church  :  P>aptism,  to  be  administered  to  believers  and  their 
children,  as  the  sign  of  cleansing  from  sin,  of  union  to  Christ, 
and  of   the   impartatiou  of  the    Holy  Spirit;  and   the   Lord's 


222  THE  riLGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Supper  as  a  symbol  of  His  atoniiv^'  death,  a  seal  of  its  elficacy, 
and  a  means  whereby  He  confirms  and  strengthens  the  spiritual 
union  and  communion  of  believers  with  Himself. 

XII.  We  believe  in  the  ultimate  prevalence  of  the  kingdom 
of  Christ  over  all  the  earth  ;  in  the  glorious  appearing  of  the 
great  God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  in  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead  ;  and  in  a  linal  judgment,  the  issues  of  which  are  ever- 
lasting punishment  and  everlasting  life. 

Thus  as  clearly  as  possible  we  have  tried  to  present 
the  salient  facts  coiicerniiig  the  creeds  of  the  Congre- 
gational churches  of  the  English-speaking  world,  so 
far  as  they  are  entitled  to  be  called  representative. 
The  Congregational  churches  of  England  have  few 
creeds,  except  as  their  "Doctrinal  Schedules"  in 
Trust  Deeds  may  be  called  by  that  name.  In  the 
sense  that  the  Westminster  Confession  is  a  creed, 
neither  the  English  nor  the  American  Congregational 
Churches  have  ever  formulated  any.  At  the  Savoy, 
at  Burial  Hill,  and  at  Oberlin,  "  declarations  "  were 
made,  and  at  St.  Louis  a  Committee  of  honoured 
and  able  ministers  was  appointed  to  prepare  a 
"  statement  "  of  what  was  commonly  believed  by 
the  American  churches.  Although  their  work  was 
tlirectcd  to  be  in  the  form  of  a  creed  or  catechism  or 
botii,  it  has  only  so  much  authority  as  it  contains 
truth.  On  the  other  hand  a  large  proportion  of  the 
Congregational  churches  in  America  have  such  doc- 
uments, which  are  peculiarly  their  own  and  binding 
on  their  mcmljcrship. 


CKKEDS.  223 

1 1  nui}'  therefore  be  saitl  when  representative 
creeds  are  considered  that  the  Congregational  fclUm'- 
sliip  makes  less  of  such  standards  than  any  other 
denomination,  except  the  Baptists ;  wiiile  judged 
by  their  local  usage,  the  Congregational  chiirclus, 
l).uticularly  in  .Vmerica,  have  put  a  more  constant 
and  imperative  emphasis  on  the  importance  of 
creeds  than  has  any  other  branch  of  the  Christian 
Church. 


VI. 

DOCTRINAL   CONDITIONS  OF 
CHURCH    MEMBERSHIP. 


"  We  no  longer  recite  the  old  Creeds  of  Athanasius  or  Arius,  of 
Calvin  or  Hopkins.  The  forms  are  flexible,  but  the  uses  not  less 
real  ....  Truth  is  simple,  and  will  not  be  antique;  is  ever  pres- 
ent, and  insists  on  being  of  this  age  and  of  this  moment.  Here  is 
thought,  and  love,  and  truth  and  duty,  new  as  the  first  day  of  Adam 
and  of  Angelo." — Ralph  Waldo  Emerson. 

"  I  say  that  the  noblest  opportunity  God  gives  to  men  is  that  of 
testifying,  with  lips  which  He  himself  has  touched,  to  the  glory  of 
His  character,  to  the  majestic  grace  of  His  plans,  to  the  work  which 
men  of  a  consecrated  spirit  may  do  for  Him  in  the  world." 

— Richard  S.  Storrs. 

"  The  whole  expression  *  Christian  Truth  '  is  greatly  wanting  in 
clearness.  What  is  '  Christian  '  truth  .''  Knowledge  in  the  light  of 
the  historical  fact  'Christ,' — a  light  which  is  to  be  conceived  of  as  in 
continual  growth." — Richard  Rothe. 

"The  contents  of  the  Christian  revelation  are  richer  and  more 
varied  to-day  than  they  were  in  any  past  age.  We  have  fellowship 
with  Christ  in  revealing  God  ....  To  have  fellowship  with  Christ 
in  His  work,  the  life  of  Christ  must  be  ours." 

— Robert  W.  Dale. 


VI. 

DOCTRINAL     CONDITIONS    OF     CHURCH 
MEMBERSHIP.* 

Should  those  who  desire  to  become  members  of 
Christ's  visible  Church,  and  thereby  to  testify  their 
devotion  to  Him  and  the  ends  which  He  sought  to 
reaHse,  be  required  to  assent  to  statements  of  doc- 
trine of  any  form  whatever ;  and  if  so,  wiiat  form  ? 

Wc  have  nothing  to  do  at  this  time  with  the 
question  whether  the  doctrinal  formula:  should  be 
presented  for  acceptance  to  religious  teachers  or  to 
those  called  to  positions  of  administration.  The 
first  step  toward  an  intelligible  answer  to  the  inquiry 
is  to  learn  what  is  the  existing  usage  concerning 
admission  of  members  to  local  churches.  To  obtain 
this  information  two  courses  were  open  to  us  :  one  to 
take  the  utterances  of  recognised  representatives  of 
the  churches,  and  the  other  to  make  investigation 
among  the  churches  themselves.  Both  methods 
have  been  adopted,  with  the  following  results. 

*The  Substance  of  this  Chapter  was  read  before  the  Iiiteriiatioii.il 
Council  of  Congregational  Churches,  London,  England,  July  15,  1S91. 


228  THE  PILGRIM  I.V  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Ill  Great  Britain  and  throughout  the  world  there  is 
no  higher  authority  on  Congregational  usage  than  the 
honoured  and  accomplished  President  of  the  Inter- 
national Council.*  He  may  be  taken  as  a  competent 
witness  concerning  English  Congregationalism.  He 
says :  "  Nor  is  it  consistent  with  Congregational 
principles  for  a  particular  church  to  draw  up  a  creed, 
and  require  its  acceptance  by  candidates  for  mem- 
bership. A  Christian  church  is  not  a  private  society 
whose  regulations  can  be  modified  by  its  members 
at  their  pleasure,  but  a  society  founded  by  Christ 
Himself,  and  intended  by  Him  to  be  the  home  of 
all  Christians.  Nothing,  therefore,  should  be  re- 
quired of  an  applicant  for  membership  but  per- 
sonal faith  in  Christ  ;  this  may  exist,  and  there  may 
be  decisive  evidence  of  its  existence,  in  persons  who 
have  no  clear  intellectual  apprehension  of  many  of 
the  great  truths  of  the  Christian  Gospel :  it  may 
exist,  and  there  may  be  decisive  evidence  of  its 
existence,  in  persons  by  whom  some  of  these  truths 
are  rejected.  Men  come  into  the  Church  not 
because  they  have  already  mastered  the  contents 
of  the  Christian  revelation,  but  to  be  taught 
them."t  The  author  says  that  doubtless  many 
have  been  kept  out  of  the  Church  because  of  their 
religious  opinions,  and  adds :  "  But  in  England 
the  Congregational  tradition    has   been  sufificiently 


*  Rev.  R.  \V.  Dale,  D.  D. 

t  "Manual  of  Congregationalism,"  p.  iS6. 


CONDiriOXS  Of'  CIIi'RCIl  MEMBERSUir.       22g 

strong,  even  where  Congregational  principles  have 
not  been  clearl)'  understood,  to  prevent  Congrega- 
tional churches  from  drawing  up  a  formal  creed,  and 
enforcing  its  acceptance  as  a  condition  of  commu- 
nion. When  such  a  creed  has  been  once  adopted 
and  enforced  ....  the  Church  is  no  longer  under 
the  immediate  control  of  the  living  Christ.  Its  free- 
dom and  its  independence  are  lost.  It  is  governed 
not  indeed  by  the  decrees  of  an  external  council, 
but  by  the  decrees  of  the  dead.  ...  It  is  not  by 
enforcing  a  theological  test  as  a  condition  of  com- 
munion that  a  church  can  protect  itself  from  heresy. 
Its  only  protection  is  the  presence  of  Christ,  and  the 
illumination  of  the  Holy  Ghost."* 

In  order  that  there  might  be  no  doubt  concerning 
the  usage  in  England,  letters  were  addressed  to  a 
number  of  representative  ministers  asking  the  fol- 
lowing questions:  "Does  your  church  make  ac- 
ceptance of  Articles  of  Faith  a  condition  of  church 
membership?"  "If  you  do  not  condition  church 
membership  on  the  acceptance  of  certain  doctrines, 
what  are  your  requirements  ?  " 

Robert  F.  Horton,  Joseph  Parker,  A.  Goodrich, 
Henry  Allon,  Samuel  Pearson,  Robert  W.  Dale, 
and  Charles  A.  Berry  responded,  all  saying  that 
their  churches  made  no  doctrinal  test  for  member- 
ship. These  seven  eminent  and  honoured  pastors 
are  fairly  representative  of  Great  Britain.  The 
*"  Manual  of  Congregationalism,"  pp.  1S7,  1S8. 


230  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

right  of  a  church  to  require  the  assent  of  those  uni- 
ting with  it  to  a  formula  of  doctrine  is  not  recog- 
nised among  English  Congregationalists. 

In  the  United  States  usage  is  largely  different. 
Dr.  Dexter  says  :  "  The  public  admission  of  mem- 
bers who  have  been  received  by  vote,  usually  takes 
place  just  before  the  Communion  Service,  when  the 
new  members  give  their  public  assent  to  the  Arti- 
cles of  Faith  and  Covenant,  as  they  are  read  by  the 
pastor  ....  The  signature  of  every  new^  member 
to  the  Articles  of  Faith  and  Covenant  in  the  book 
kept  for  that  purpose  should  follow,  at  the  first  con- 
venient moment."  * 

That  this  passage  does  not  exactly  voice  the  sen- 
timent in  the  United  States  at  present  will  be  evi- 
dent when  the  responses  to  the  above  questions 
from  eminent  American  ministers  are  exarnined. 
The  following  report  that  assent  to  Articles  of  Faith 
is  required  by  the  churches  of  which  they  are  pas- 
tors:  E.  P.  Goodwin,  First  Church,  Chicago;  A.  F. 
Sherrill,  First  Church,  Atlanta  ;  C.  F.  Thwing,  Ply- 
mouth Church,  Minneapolis  ;  \V.  H.  Davis,  First 
Church,  Detroit  ;  F.  A.  Noble,  Union  Park  Church, 
Chicago ;  W.  M.  Taylor,  Broadway  Tabernacle 
Church,  New  York  ;  and  David  Gregg,  late  pastor 
of  the  Park  Street  Church,  Boston. 

The  following  ministers  report  "Yes,"  with  quali- 
fications, such  as  "  in  substance,"  or  "  conditionally," 

*  "  Congregationalism,  what  it  is,  etc."  p.  1S5. 


CONDITIONS  OF  CHURCH  MEMBERSHIP,       23 1 

or  "practically,"  which  in  all  cases  means  as  their 
letters  show,  that  while  a  formal  acceptance  may 
be  asked  it  is  distinctly  understood  to  be  only  for- 
mal:  S.  H.  Virgin,  Pilgrim  Church,  New  York;  C. 
H.  Richards,  Central  Church,  Philadelphia  ;  R.  S. 
Storrs,  Church  of  the  Pilgrims,  Brooklyn  ;  R.  R. 
Meredith,  Tompkins  Avenue  Church,  Brooklyn  ;  F. 
T.  Bailey,  State  Street  Church,  Portland,  Maine ;  J. 
B.  Thrall,  First  Church,  Salt  Lake  City  ;  George  L. 
Walker,  Centre  Church,  Hartford,  T.  E.  Clapp, 
First  Church,  Portland,  Oregon;  T.  T.  Munger, 
United  Church,  New  Haven  ;  Alexander  McKenzie, 
Sheppard  Memorial  Church,  Cambridge. 

A  closer  inspection  of  these  letters  shows  that  of 
those  who  make  a  doctrinal  condition,  Drs,  Virgin, 
Richards,  Walker  and  Clapp  explain  that  rigid  ac- 
ceptance is  not  required,  but  only  "  for  substance  " 
— which  may  mean  much  or  nothing ;  while  the 
churches  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Plymouth  in  Minneapo- 
lis, First  in  Detroit,  Union  Park  in  Chicago,  United 
in  New  Haven,  Sheppard  Memorial  in  Cambridge, 
Tompkins  Avenue  in  Brooklyn,  all  receive  members 
by  the  Apostle's  Creed.  The  Church  of  the  Pil- 
grims, Brooklyn,  does  not  require  assent  to  the  Ar- 
ticles of  Faith  when  new  members  are  received,  and 
)-et  all  are  asked  if  they  have  examined  them  and 
propose  to  abide  by  them.  They  are  read  by 
individuals,  and  not  read  to  them  and  interpreted 
lor  them. 


232  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Those  who  responded,  "  No,"  are  :  H.  A.  Stimson, 
Pilgrim  Church,  St.  Louis ;  A.  H.  Heath,  First 
Church,  St.  Paul;  J.  G.  Vose,  Beneficent  Church,  Pro- 
vidence ;  A.  J.  F.  Behrends,  Central  Church,  Brook- 
lyn ;  E.  A.  Lawrence,  First  Church,  Baltimore ; 
H.  M.  Ladd,  Euclid  Avenue  Church,  Cleveland. 

Probably  the  majority  of  the  churches  in  the 
United  States  require  formal  acceptance  of  state- 
ments of  doctrines;  but  many  of  the  most  promi- 
nent do  not.  Of  those  that  do,  many  present  only 
the  Apostles'  Creed,  and  the  number  is  rapidly  in- 
creasing of  those  who  ask  only  assent  to  the  Cove- 
nant, which  embodies  always  something  like  the 
early  confessional  symbol — faith  in  the  Father,  in 
Jesus  Christ  His  Son,  and  in  the  Holy  Spirit.  The 
formula  for  the  reception  of  members  proposed  by 
the  National  Council  Commission  contains  little  be- 
sides the  Apostles'  Creed,  and  that  formula  may  be 
presumed  to  indicate  the  tendency  in  the  churches 
of  the  United  States. 

The  following  is  the  summary  of  the  usage  of 
evangelical  churches  generally,  concerning  doctrinal 
tests  for  the  admission  of  church  members: 

The  Presbyterian  Church  of  the  United  States 
requires  acceptance  of  such  conditions  from  its  minis- 
ters and  officers,  but  not  from  its  members. 

The  Baptist  churches  of  the  world  receive  mem- 
bers who  give  credible  evidence  of  having  experi- 
enced the  new  birth. 


The  Episcopal  Church  in  England  and  America 
requires  of  all  whether  they  were  born  within  the 
church  or  not  assent  to  the  Apostles'  Creed. 

The  Methodist  Church  on  both  sides  the  Atlantic 
receives  members  on  credible  evidence  of  a  change 
of  heart.* 

The  Congregational  churches  of  England  make 
no  doctrinal  test,  but  assume  that  those  who  they 
have  reason  to  believe  are  honest  will  not  seek 
church  membership  unless  they  are  Christians. 

A  majority  of  the  Congregational  churches  in  the 
United  States  require  assent  to  doctrinal  symbols 
from  those  wishing  to  enter  their  membership.  The 
reason  for  the  usage  in  the  American  churches  is 
not  difficult  to  find.  The  custom  appeared  soon 
after  the  beginning  of  the  present  century, — about 
the  time  of  the  Unitarian  controvers}'.  Originally 
no  doctrinal  tests  were  required  in  New  England. 
The  most  authoritative  witness  on  this  point  is 
Cotton  Mather,  and  he  says :  "  The  churches  of 
New  England  make  only  vital  piety  the  terms  of 
communion ;  ami  they  all  with  delight  see  godly 
Congregationalists,  Presbyterians,  Episcopalians, 
Antipedo-Baptists  and  Lutherans,  all  members  of 
the  same  churches,  and  all  sitting  together  without 
offence  at  the  same  holy  table."  f 

Again:     "To    the  relation    of    [the    candidate's] 

*  More  than  this  is  nominally,  but  not  often  actually  required, 
t  Cotton  Mather,  Ratio  DisiipUim  Intr.,  p.  4. 


234  ^^^^'  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

own  religious  experience  is  added  either  a  confes- 
sion of  faith  of  his  own  composing  or  a  briefer  in- 
timation of  what  publicly  received  confession  he 
chooses  to  adhere  to."* 

Again  :  "  It  is  the  design  of  these  churches  to 
make  the  terms  of  communion  run  as  parallel  as  ma}' 
be  with  the  terms  of  salvation.  A  charitable  consider- 
ation of  nothing  but  true  piety  in  admitting  to  evan- 
gelical privileges  is  a  glory  which  the  churches  of 
New  England  would  claim  to."  f 

The  earliest  church  that  I  have  found  to  require 
public  assent  to  its  Articles  of  Faith  was  that  in 
Fitchburg,  Mass.,  in  1808.  Even  concerning  that, 
the  pastor,  Dr.  Worcester,  wrote  ;  "  It  was  never 
designed  to  exclude  any  from  our  Communion  who 
appear  to  be  made  really  subjects  of  experimental 
religion."  \ 

Park  Street  Church,  Boston,  was  organised  in 
1809  with  a  strict  creed  to  which  subscription  was 
required  from  those  desirous  of  entering  its  member- 
ship. In  the  years  immediately  following,  nearly  all 
the  churches  which  did  not  become  Unitarian  raised 
doctrinal  fortifications  around  their  doors,  which  it 
was  fondly  believed  would  be  sufficiently  strong  to 
resist  the  invasions  of  here-sy. 

From  Apostolic  times  there  have  been  confessional 

*  Cotton  Mather,  Rut.  Dis.  Ii/tr.,  j).  99. 

t  //'/./,  p.  SS. 

I  Life  of  Samuel  Worcester,  p.  279. 


CONDITIONS  OF  CHURCH  MEMBl.RSHIP.       235 

symbols  expressing  faith  in  I-\itlicr,  Son  and  Holy 
Ghost,  but  doctrinal  conditions  of  admission  to  the 
churches  are  an  innovation,  having  been,  as  above 
stated,  introduced  in  the  early  years  of  the  present 
century,  as  a  result  of  what  is  known  as  the  Unita- 
rian Controversy,  "  After  their  vineyard  was  plun- 
dered and  trampled  they  put  up  the  bars.  And 
they  put  up  the  wrong  bars  !  There  are  impenitent 
sinners  who  can  adopt  with  perfect  sincerity  the 
most  tremendous  tests  that  can  be  desired  of  ortho- 
doxy in  opinion.  What  was  wanted  was  a  rigid 
enforcement  of  the  old  rule  that  '  no  person  ought 
to  make  a  profession  of  religion  and  join  the  church 
without  experiencing  a  change  of  heart,  and  the 
church  ought  not  to  receive  any  person  into  their 
fellowship,  whether  he  has  been  a  professor  or  not, 
unless  they  are  satisfied  in  a  judgment  of  charity 
that  he  has  been  born  again.'  "  * 

Turning  from  history  to  the  Scriptures  we  find 
them  silent  concerning  the  whole  subject.  On 
the  day  when  three  thousand  were  add'xl  to  the 
Church  no  confessions  were  in  existence.  What  is 
said  in  the  Scriptures  concerning  the  duty  of  con- 
fessing Christ  has  no  relation  to  membership  in  a 
visible  society.  Paul's  reply  to  the  jailer  at  Philippi 
told  the  inquirer  how  to  be  saved,  not  how  to  get 
into  the  church.  When  the  rite  of  baptism  was  ad- 
ministered, candidates  confessed  faith  in  Jesus  Christ, 

•  Wolcott  Calkiii<,  1).  I).,  Amloz-er  Rez'Uic,  March,  1890. 


236  THE  PILGRIM  IM  OLD  ENGLAND. 

but  that  was  all.  Later,  the  symbol  was  extended 
to  include  faith  in  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  only  examples  of  discipline  mentioned  in  the 
Scriptures  are  for  immorality.  The  confessions  of 
the  early  Church  were  simple  and  vital.  A  convert 
was  never  expected  to  accept  a  formula  of  doctrine 
distilled  from  the  Scriptures  by  a  process  of  specu- 
lation supposed  to  possess  all  the  virtue  of  inspiration 
without  the  name. 

Two  arguments  are  urged  in  favour  of  doctrinal 
conditions  of  church  membership: 

(i)  They  preserve  soundness  of  doctrine.  This 
has  usually  meant  "sound"  according  to  Calvinis- 
tic  standards ;  but  the  Presbyterian  and  Baptist 
churches,  which  never  required  creedal  assent  from 
individual  members,  have  been  more  successful  in 
retaining  their  Calvinism  than  the  Congregational 
churches.  Indeed,  the  Oberlin  Council  explicitly 
substituted  for  the  name  "  Calvinistic  "  that  of 
"  Evangelical."  The  Baptist  churches  have  creeds 
neither  for  ministers  nor  for  laymen,  and  they  are 
the  most  intensely  Calvinistic  of  all  the  denomina- 
tions. The  machinery  which  was  devised  to  pro- 
tect Calvinistic  orthodoxy  is  driving  it  from  the 
churches. 

(2)  Again,  it  is  said  that  because  all  members 
have  a  voice  in  the  government  of  Congregational 
churches  therefore  they  should  be  kept  homoge- 
neous by  a  common  creed.     Once  more  the   weak- 


CONDITIOiXS  OF  CHURCH  MEMBERSHIP.       237 

ness  of  machinery  appears.  The  Haptist  churches, 
without  a  creed  for  minister  or  layman,  have  been 
united  by  the  mighty  spirit  of  evangelism  which 
makes  their  history  read  like  that  of  an  almost 
continuous  revival,  and  they  arc  if  possible  more 
loosely  organised  than  Congregational  churches. 

The  only  arguments  that  have  ever  been  ad- 
vanced in  favour  of  doctrinal  conditions  for  church 
membership  prove  exact!)'  the  reverse  of  what  they 
are  supposed  to  prove.  "  It  is  not  by  enforcing  a 
theological  test  as  the  condition  of  communion  that 
a  church  can  protect  itself  from  heresy.  Its  only 
protection  is  the  presence  of  Christ  and  the  illumina- 
tion of  the  Holy  Spirit."  * 

Are  such  conditions  desirable  ?  The  answer  is 
in  the  negative,  and  for  the  following  reasons  : 

(i)  The  custom  of  making  doctrinal  conditions 
for  admission  to  the  church  is  a  violation  of  the 
spirit  and  letter  of  Scripture.  St.  Paul  says  that  those 
who  are  "  weak  in  the  faith  "  are  to  be  received. 
Our  Lord  Himself  said,  "  This  is  life  eternal,  that 
they  might  know  Thee."  A  doctrinal  barrier  at  the 
church  door  violates  the  Christian  ideal  of  a  church, 
which  is  that  it  is  composed  of  those  who  are  born 
of  God.  St.  John  said  the  test  of  the  new  birth  is 
love  : — "  Whosoever  loveth  is  born  of  God."  Jesus 
said  the  same  : — "  By  this  shall  all  men  know  that 
ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  toward 
*"  Manual  of  Congregational  Principles,"     R.  W.  Dale,  p.  188. 


238  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

another."  But  certain  American  churches  say. 
"  By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  Christ's 
disciples,  if  your  intellectual  opinions  concerning  the 
Trinity,  Atonement,  Decrees  and  Future  Punish- 
ment are  according  to  traditional  interpretations." 

It  is  said :  "  We  make  a  distinction  between  our 
church  and  the  Church  Universal  ;  we  do  not  claim 
that  acceptance  of  our  views  is  necessary  in  order 
that  men  may  be  saved,  but  only  that  they  may  be 
in  our  denomination."  That  presents  the  sadder 
spectacle  of  a  few  people  separating  from  the  uni- 
versal Church  on  purely  human  grounds.  If  the 
Church  is  divine,  it  is  one  ;  if  it  is  human,  it  has  no 
more  sanctity  than  any  other  society  or  club. 
Societies  which  claim  the  right  of  separation  from 
the  body  of  believers  in  Christ  can  be  called 
"  churches  "  only  by  courtesy. 

(2)  To  compel  those  who  desire  to  confess 
Christ  to  assent  to  a  confession  of  faith  is  to  bind 
them  by  "  the  decrees  of  the  dead,"  to  forbid  that 
they  shall  be  led  by  the  living  Christ,  and  to  make 
progress  in  knowledge  and  growth  in  spiritual  life 
impossible.  A  man  becomes  a  Christian  under  the 
influence  of  the  living  Spirit;  is  convicted  of  sin  by 
the  same  Spirit ;  regenerated  by  the  same  Spirit ;  is 
to  be  sanctified  by  the  same  Spirit :  but  he  is  told 
that  unless  he  can  bend  his  mind  so  as  to  make  it 
accept  certam  theological  dogmas  which  were  writ- 
ten by  men  long  since  dead,  and,  when  living,  mak- 


CONDITIOXS  OF  CIIUKCIJ  MEMJiKKSIIIP.       239 

ing  no  claim  to  such  inspiration  as  moved  the  writers 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  he  cannot  enter  Christ's 
Church.  The  ''dead  hand  "  in  the  State  is  terrible 
enough;  the  "dead  hand"  in  the  Church  stifles 
progress  and  life  itself. 

(3)  If  Christ  founded  the  Church  then  He  has 
determined  the  conditions  by  which  it  is  to  be 
entered.  Therefore  wc  are  reduced  to  this  dilemma  : 
either  there  is  no  Divine  Church,  or  there  should  be 
nothing  conditioning  membership  in  it  which  does 
not  condition  entrance  to  the  "  Kingdom  of  God." 
In  the  teaching  of  our  Lord  the  Church  and  the 
Kingdom  are  practically  identical.  He  made  entrance 
to  the  Kingdom  to  depend  on  the  new  birth.  The 
door  into  the  Church  and  into  the  Kingdom  are  one 
and  the  same,  and  the  society  which  closes  doors 
which  the  Master  left  open,  by  that  act  separates 
itself  from  the  Divine  order. 

(4)  DoctrinM  conditions  of  Church  membership 
should  not  be  required  for  admission  to  the  Church 
because  knowledge  of  the  truth  needed  to  intelli- 
gently assent  to  them  is  the  fruit  of  the  Christian 
life.  To  ask  a  new-born  Christian  to  subscribe  to 
articles  of  doctrine  is  as  absurd  as  to  expect  an 
infant  to  tell  the  history  of  his  parents,  the  motives 
which  determine  their  action,  and  why  they  love 
him,  before  he  can  be  recognised  as  a  member  of 
the  family.  We  do  not  undervalue  doctrine  or 
creeds;  but  we  do  maintain  that  any  intelligent  con- 


240  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

ception  of  doctrine,  more  than  the  consciousness  of 
sonship,  must  result  from  growth  in  the  Divine  life. 
Little  life  means  little  knowledge  of  truth  ;  large  life 
and  a  rich  experience  necessitate  a  large,  generous 
and  vital  creed.  Doctrinal  statements,  if  worth  any- 
thing, are  packed  with  the  results  of  the  long  investi- 
gation of  mature  Christians.  Moreover,  the  pro- 
foundest  truth  cannot  be  put  into  hard  and  fast 
language  ;  its  expression  will  be  as  varied  as  the 
natures  of  those  by  whom  it  is  voiced  and  to  whom 
it  is  addressed.  "  Whosever  loveth,  knoweth  God." 
There  is  a  knowledge  of  truth  discernible  only  by  the 
loving  spirit.  In  the  spiritual  sphere  those  who  love 
most  know  most.  The  clearest  visions  of  truth  are 
reserved  for  the  piire^  who  shall  see  God,  and  the /^7^- 
ing,  who  knoiv  Hivi.  Divine  revelations  can  never 
be  congealed  into  dogmatic  forms.  This  principle 
is  forgotten  and  violated  when  a  series  of  doctrines 
are  presented,  and  their  acceptance  "demanded  as  a 
condition  of  church  membership  from  those  whose 
love  has  already  proved  their  union  with  Christ. 
Dr.  Dale  says :  "  Men  come  into  the  Church,  not 
because  they  have  already  mastered  the  contents  of 
the  Christian  revelation,  but  to  be  taught  them." 

(5)  Requiring  assent  to  doctrinal  statements  cul- 
tivates dishonesty.  Even  if  the  creeds  presented 
be  unmixed  with  error,  those  who  subscribe  to  them 
say  that  they  believe  in  statements  which  are  the 
result  of  the  patient  thought  of  the  best   minds  of 


CONDITIOXS  OF  CHUKCH  MEMBERSHIP.       24 1 

all  the  Christian  centuries  ;  and  that  they  cannot 
say  truthfully  until  they  have  been  taught  those 
truths  by  the  Spirit  and  the  experiences  of  life.  The 
infinities  and  eternities  are  explored  every  time  a 
new  creed  is  composed.  Moreover,  the  most  empha- 
sis in  doctrinal  formulae  is  never  on  the  practical 
and  easily  comprehended  duties,  such  as  love  and 
service,  but  on  what  is  to  be  done  in  Eternity  and 
what  is  determined  in  the  counsels  of  God.  "  These 
truths  do  you  solemnly  profess  and  believe  ?"  The 
candidate  is  expected  to  say,  "  Yes."  Now  what 
does  that  mean  ?  It  means  that  at  the  door  of  the 
Church  one  has  been  asked  to  tell  an  untruth,  be- 
cause only  by  a  process  of  casuistry  utterly  unlike 
the  sincerity  which  becomes  a  child  of  God  can 
he  convince  himself  that  it  is  right  to  say  he  be- 
lieves. He  should  say  "  I  do  not  know."  Thus  by 
the  Church  a  Christian  is  given  a  lesson  in  insincerity. 
If  he  may  profess  what  he  does  not  actually 
believe,  why  may  he  not  do  what  he  is  not  sure  is 
right  ? 

Being  induced  to  assent  to  what  one  is  not  sure 
that  he  approves  is  fraught  with  vast  peril  to  a 
young  life.  "  Do  you  love  God  ?  "  "Do  you  love  to 
read  your  Bible  ?  "  These  and  similar  questions  are 
pressed,  then  emptied  of  their  contents,  then  evaded  ; 
then  a  formula  of  doctrine  is  treated  in  the  same 
way  ;  and  at  last  when  this  jugglery  is  ended,  a  man 
is  reminded  of  the  solemnity  of  the  obligation  which 


242  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

he  has  taken,  and  that  he  has  made  a  vow  which 
can  never  be  withdrawn.  A  more  cunning  system 
for  promoting  intellectual  dishonesty  could  hardly 
be  devised. 

(6)  Doctrinal  conditions  for  church  membership 
misrepresent  Christianity.  The  Master  said  He 
came  that  the  people  "might  have  life,  and  that 
they  might  have  it  more  abundantly  "  ;  and  the  evi- 
dence of  life  is  always  something  vital, — St.  Paul 
calls  it  fruit  ;  but  the  doctrinal  test  makes  ability  to 
accept  the  results  of  the  intellectual  processes  of 
others  the  essence  of  the  Christian  religion.  At 
that  point  difificulty  begins.  Intellectual  belief  can- 
not be  compelled.  It  is  a  result  of  life.  Thought 
is  coloured  by  hereditary  bias  and  training.  To 
expect  those  who  are  Arminians  by  nature  to  sub- 
scribe to  a  Calvinistic  creed  is  to  ask  an  impossibil- 
ity, and  to  demand  it  is  to  require  falsehood.  If 
doctrinal  formulae  are  essential,  and  opinions  are  not  a 
matter  of  choice,  then  there  is  a  great  gulf  which 
can  never  be  crossed  between  multitudes  and  true 
religion.  Such  unscriptural  claims  have  hindered 
the  progress  of  the  Kingdom  more  than  almost 
anything  else,  because  when  men  have  looked  for 
the  living  Christ  they  have  seen  only  a  form  of 
words  meaningless  to  them.  Such  documents  mis- 
represent our  Lord,  who  came  to  thrill  humanity 
with  divine  life,  and  not  to  teach  a  new  system  of 
theology.     His  pathetic    reproach  to  the  Jews  was 


CONDITIOXS  Of  CHURCH  MEMBERSHIP.        243 

not  that   Ihcy   refused  his  doctrines,  but    "  Ye    will 
not  come  unto  me  that  ye  might  have  life." 

(7)  Doctrinal  tests  of  church  membership  are 
not  desirable  because  they  bar  from  the  sacraments 
and  other  means  of  grace,  many  who  most  need 
them,  and  who  give  the  best  evidence  of  the  Chris- 
tian life.  The  Sacraments  surely  have  more  than  a 
formal  efificacy.  Those  who  partake  of  the  Holy 
Communion  in  the  right  spirit  are  brought  into 
vital  union  with  Christ.  In  all  ages  Christians, 
whether  they  have  celebrated  the  Lord's  death  in 
the  spirit  or  by  use  of  the  bread  and  wine,  have 
realised  that  the  Supper  satisfied  a  real  hunger  of 
the  soul.  Those  who  have  been  sealed  to  God  in 
Baptism,  especially  after  they  have  reached  matu- 
rity, seldom  escape  the  influence  of  that  holy  rite. 
The  sacraments,  however,  are  so  administered  that 
the  world  thinks  of  them  as  the  property  of  the 
Church,  and  in  many,  if  not  most,  churches  they  are 
openly  declared  to  be  reserved  for  church  members. 
Many  persons  truly  realise  their  sinfulness,  and  trust 
in  Christ  as  the  Saviour,  who  would  like  to  be  in  fel- 
lowship with  all  of  the  same  faith.  In  all  that  is 
vital  to  salvation  they  believe,  but  in  particular 
theories  of  Inspiration,  or  the  Trinity,  or  the  Atone- 
ment, they  may  not  believe,  while  they  show  by 
every  Scriptural  evidence  that  they  have  been  born 
of  the  Spirit.  Because  they  are  not  Calvinistic  or 
Arminian,  because  they  hold  to  a  moral  influence 


244  ^-^^^  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

rather  than  a  substitutionary  theory  of  the  work  of 
Christ,  they  are  denied  the  benefit  of  the  sacra- 
ments, and  the  protection  and  inspiration  which 
always  attends  association  with  those  who  are  truly 
His  followers.  Our  Lord's  exhortation  about  caus- 
ing the  little  ones  to  stumble  is  as  much  in  need 
of  emphasis  in  these  days  as  when  first  spoken.  It 
is  painful  to  acknowledge  that  many  not  now  in  our 
churches  would  be  members  in  good  standing  if  they 
were  a  little  less  honest.  Thousands,  not  unwilling 
either  to  obey  God  or  to  follow  Jesus  Christ,  have 
been  denied  admission  to  the  churches  solely  be- 
cause the  Spirit  has  led  them  to  conclusions  con- 
cerning speculative  questions  differing  from  the 
ones  reached  by  those  who  wrote  the  Standards.  To 
presume  to  deny  the  privileges  of  the  Church  and 
sacraments  to  those  who,  having  the  spirit  of 
Christ,  are  not  able  to  assent  to  certain  human  in- 
terpretations of  truth,  is  to  assume  responsibilities 
which  were  never  authorised  by  our  Master,  and 
from  which  the  humble  surely  would  shrink. 

The  Church  of  Christ  is  the  body  of  Christ.  It  is 
a  living  body.  Connection  with  a  living  organism 
can  never  be  realised  by  a  mechanical  contrivance. 
When  life  interfuses  life  the  two  become  one.  Doc- 
trinal statements,  however  true,  are  only  human 
mechanisms.  They  have  no  ability  to  generate  life. 
A  machine  in  cooperation  with  a  man  may  fashion 
another  machine,  but  without  the  living  man  it  can 


CONDITIONS  OF  CHURCH  MEMBERSHIP.       245 

do  nothing.  All  who  accept  the  Hving  Christ  are 
transformed  into  His  likeness  ;  and  who  has  a  right 
to  dictate  to  any  one,  in  whom  Christ  dwells,  what 
he  shall  believe  or  do  ?  Did  not  St.  John  say  :  "  Ye 
have  an  unction  from  the  Holy  One,  and  need  not 
that  any  man  should  teach  you  "  ?  If  he,  the  Beloved 
Disciple,  made  an  obedient  spirit  the  only  condition 
of  discipleship,  what  right  have  men  removed  by 
thousands  of  years  from  the  living  presence  of  the 
Founder  to  raise  other  conditions  ? 

Questions  of  doctrine  have  always  been  causes 
of  contention  and  division;  and  the  more  inscruta- 
ble  the  mysteries  the  more  positive  have  been  those 
who  have  felt  that  they  were  divinely  called  to  pro- 
tect Providence  from  the  speculations  of  his  creat- 
ures. Christendom  is  divided  into  sects  chiefly 
because  men  difTer  about  what  they  think  God  does 
in  infinity  and  eternity.  Most  creeds  are  the  ex- 
pression of  those  thoughts,  and  simply  mechanisms, 
— that  Is,  artificial  combinations  constructed  for  a 
purpose  ;  not  natural  growths.  Life  unifies.  Christ 
Is  the  vine  ;  Christians  the  branches.  Imagine  a 
branch  saying  to  a  bud  :  "  Before  you  presume  to 
grow  another  inch  answer  certain  questions.  Do  you 
believe  that  this  tree  Is  an  oak  or  a  maple  ?  Was  it 
planted  ten  years  ago  or  twelve  ?  Did  some  one 
decide  on  its  planting  a  century  ago,  or  did  it  grow 
from  seed  which  had  fallen  by  the  way  ?  "  The  new- 
born bud  makes  no  answer,  but  simply  grows  where 


246  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

the  life  pushes  it.  To  ask  questions  about  doctrine, 
of  those  in  whom  Christ  dwells,  is  little  less  than  an 
impertinence.  If  the  life  is  there  it  will  make  its 
own  forms,  and  develop  according  to  its  own  laws. 
The  important  thing  is  to  be  sure  that  the  heart  is 
given  to  God,  and  that  the  mind  and  will  arc  under 
the  guidance  of  His  Spirit.  All  else  may  be  left,  nay, 
must  be  left,  to  the  Spirit,  who  in  His  own  time  and 
way  will  lead  into  all  truth. 

Let  us  now  briefly  recapitulate: — i.  Doctrinal 
statements  are  not  required  by  the  Congregational 
churches  of  England  ;  only  the  Apostles'  Creed  is 
required  by  the  Episcopalians  of  the  Old  World 
and  New  ;  the  Presbyterian,  Methodist  and  Baptist 
churches  make  no  doctrinal  tests;  such  conditions 
were  not  demanded  by  the  Congregational  churches 
of  the  United  States  until  the  Unitarian  defection 
about  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  ;  they 
are  required  now  by  a  majority  of  those  churches, 
but  less  and  less  rigidly  insisted  on,  while  many  of 
the  American  churches  make  no  doctrinal  tests  at 
all. 

1 1 .  There  is  no  basis  for  such  requirement  in  Scrip- 
ture, and  no  warrant  in  early  usage.  The  most  that 
was  asked  in  the  Apostolic  times  is  indicated  by 
early  baptismal  symbols,  which  never  demanded 
statements  of  belief  concerning  the  Bible,  the  "  plan 
of  salvation,"  the  purposes  of  the  Almighty,  or 
eschatology. 


CONDITIONS  OF  CHURCH  MEMBERSHIP.       247 

III.  Such  tests  at  the  door  of  Christ's  church : 

Violate  the  idea  of  the  church  ; 

Assume  that  falHble  men  arc  wiser  than  the 
Founder  of  the  Church  ; 

Assume  that  babes  are  competent  to  understand 
mysteries  that  angels  have  desired  to  look  into  ; 

Cultivate  dishonesty ; 

Obscure  the  teaching  of  Christ  concerning  the  na- 
ture of  the  spiritual  life  ; 

And  bar  from  the  Sacraments  and  other  means 
of  grace  those  whom  the  Saviour  accepts  as  His 
followers. 

Doctrinal  conditions  for  church  membership  are 
in  process  of  passing  away,  and  must  entirely  disap- 
pear before  the  Spirit  of  God  can  do  His  perfect 
work,  the  truth  of  Christ  be  clearly  understood,  and 
the  life  of  Christ  have  full  power  on  all  for  whom 
the  Saviour  died. 

No  clearer  expression  of  the  Scriptural  teaching 
on  this  subject  has  been  given  in  recent  times  than 
the  following  from  one  of  our  oldest  and  most 
honoured  Theological  Seminaries:  *  "  The  aim  of 
every  creed  for  admission  to  church  membership 
should  be  '  to  make  the  terms  of  communion  run  as 
parallel  as  may  be  with  the  terms  of  salvation.' 
The  baptismal  covenant  is  first  of  all  a  personal  one. 
The  baptismal  creed  should  be  in  the  first  person. 

*  Andai'er  Review,  Vol.  11  p.  71. 


248  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

If  we  duly  consider  the  Apostle's  *  word  '  on  which 
the  first  church  was  organised  we  see  that  any  person 
who  can  say,  intelligently  and  sincerely,  '  I  accept 
Jesus  Christ  as  Saviour  and  Lord,'  has  a  creed  long 
enough  and  full  enough  for  membership  in  Christ's 
church.  The  door  of  the  church  ought  to  swing 
wide  open  to  every  one  who  can  say  this.  There  are 
other  and  better  ways  of  preserving  the  purity, 
order  and  discipline  of  Christ's  church  than  the  one 
of  excluding  Christians." 


VII. 

THE  PULPIT. 


"  I  know  of  nothing  which  can  do  human  life  so  much  real  and 
lasting  good  as  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ;  therefore  I  preach  it 
•with  the  energy  of  conviction,  not  unmingled,  I  trust,  with  the  joy 
of  experience.  As  a  minister  of  Christ,  I  feel  that  the  message  with 
which  I  am  entrusted  is  a  message  to  the  whole  world,  seasonable 
through  all  time,  at  home  in  all  lands,  an  infinite  message,  which  so 
grows  upon  the  mind  as  to  leave  the  impression  that  it  can  never 
be  all  delivered." — Dr.  Joseph  Parker. 

"  The  Word  did  not  speak  once  for  all  (unless  we  take  the  letter 
for  the  Word) ;  the  Word  speaks  without  ceasing,  and  the  letter  of 
the  Gospel  is  only  the  necessary  means  through  which  this  Word 
speaks  to  all.  This  is  the  only  just  idea  of  the  institution  of  the 
ministry.  The  minister  is  a  minister  of  the  Word  of  God. 
Christianity,  a  religion  of  thought,  should  be  spoken." 

— Dr.  a.  Vinet. 

"A  preacher  is  in  some  degree  a  reproduction  of  the  truth  in  per- 
sonal form.  The  truth  must  exist  in  him  as  a  living  experience,  a 
glowing  enthusiasm,  an  intense  reality.  The  Word  of  God  in  the 
Book  is  a  dead  letter.  It  is  paper,  type,  and  ink.  In  the  preacher 
that  Word  becomes  again  as  it  was  when  first  spoken  by  prophet, 
priest,  or  apostle." — Henry  Ward  Beecher. 

"  Perhaps  preaching  is  altogether  a  mistake  now-a-days.  If  so, 
let  it  be  abandoned ;  but  as  long  as  we  have  it,  and  as  long  as  we 
desire  to  have  it  good  and  telling,  we  cannot  despise  intellect  in  any 
ministry,  but  must  try  to  secure  it  by  all  reasonable  means." 

— J.  P.  Mahaffy. 

"The  open  secret  of  the  world  is  the  art  of  subliming  a  private 
soul  with  inspirations  from  the  great  and  public  and  divine  Soul 
from  which  he  lives."— Ralph  Waldo  Emerson. 


VII. 
THE  PULPIT. 

The  history  of  the  Christian  pulpit  for  the  last 
eighteen  hundred  years,  if  properly  written,  would 
be  the  history  of  the  civilised  world.  Pulpits  have 
had  quite  as  much  to  do  with  the  progress  of  events 
as  thrones  ;  preachers  and  missionaries,  as  much  as 
statesmen  and  soldiers.  It  would  be  difficult  to 
trace  the  evolution  of  the  pulpit.  Dr.  Hatch  has 
shown  that  the  philosophers  and  rhetoricians  of  the 
ancient  times  occupied  a  position  similar  to  that  of 
Christian  preachers;*  and  it  is  well  known  that 
heathen  religions  have  a  place  for  something  akin  to 
the  modern  sermon.  In  all  ages  the  living  man  has 
exerted  a  more  potent  and  vital  influence  than 
letters  and  books.  It  was  not  the  Epistles  of  St. 
Paul  which  carried  the  gospel  into  many  lands,  but 
the  Apostle  himself.  People  were  first  impressed 
with  the  magic  of  his  spoken  words,  and  thus  pre- 
pared for  the  reception  of  written  messages.  Most 
of  the  early  Fathers  were  preachers.     Chrysostom 

*  "  The  Ilibbert  Lectures,"  1888,  p.  113. 


252  THE  PILGRIM  IiV  OLD  ENGLAND. 

could  not  have  reached  his  place  of  power,  and 
thrilled  the  world  by  his  almost  unexampled  elo- 
quence, had  he  not  been  one  of  a  long  line  of  Chris- 
tian orators.  Luther  was  a  masterful  preacher ;  so 
were  John  Wycliffe,  John  Knox,  and  the  fathers 
of  the  Puritan  Revolution  and  of  modern  Protes- 
tantism. While  it  has  been  the  policy  of  the  Roman 
Church  to  exalt  the  Mass,  and  by  means  of  a  splen- 
did ceremonial  to  appeal  to  the  sensuous  rather  than 
to  the  intellectual,  she  has  also  given  to  the  world 
some  of  the  noblest  preachers  of  all  time.  From 
Chrysostom  to  Ambrose  and  St.  Bernard,  to  Mas- 
sillon  and  Lacordaire,  the  line  has  been  unbroken. 
But  while  the  emphasis  of  the  Roman  Church  has 
been  on  its  ritual  rather  than  on  its  pulpit,  Protes- 
tantism has  made  the  pulpit  the  throne  of  its  power. 
The  Reformation  was  begun,  and  continued,  by 
preaching.  The  history  of  Protestantism  could 
easily  be  traced  in  the  sermons  of  its  preachers. 

Professor  Mahaffy  of  Dublin,  in  his  supercilious 
way,  has  said  :  "  As  regards  the  future  of  preaching 
I  confess  that  among  the  better  classes,  and  with 
educated  congregations,  I  think  its  day  has  gone 
by."  *  That  sentence  shows  little  knowledge  of 
human  nature.  The  Professor  forgets  that,  in  mod- 
ern, as  in  ancient  times,  the  greatest  assemblies 
that  regularly  gather  are  attracted  by  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel,  and  that  they  are  composed  of  cul- 

*  "  Modern  Preaching,"  p.  155. 


THE  rULPIT.  253 

tuicd  people  main-  limes  and,  larj^cly,  of  men.  If  the 
future  may  be  judged  by  the  past  the  day  is  far  dis- 
tant in  which  the  pulpit  will  cease  to  influence 
thought  and  conduct. 

To  attempt  a  survey  of  the  whole  field  of  modern 
preaching  would  be  outside  the  proprieties  of  this 
lecture,  and  yet  any  study  of  English  Congregation- 
alism would  be  incomplete  which  did  not  devote  a 
large  place  to  its  pulpit.  While  the}'  have  empha- 
sised the  responsibilities  and  privileges  of  the  whole 
Christian  community,  Congrcgationalists  have  de- 
manded and  received  from  their  pastors  and  teachers 
services  which  have  been  unsurpassed  in  the  history 
of  the  Church.  We  approach  the  subject  which 
now  commands  our  attention  with  a  deep  conviction 
of  the  essential  greatness  of  our  pulpit-ancestors, 
and  also  with  the  belief  that  the  importance  of 
a  study  of  the  best  models  of  the  homiletic  art  has 
not  been  duly  appreciated  in  recent  years.  Really 
great  preachers  have  always  gladly  acknowledged 
their  obligation  to  the  masters  who  have  preceded 
them.  Almost  every  conspicuous  pulpit  orator  has 
tarried  long  under  the  spell  of  the  splendid  eloquence 
of  Chrysostom  and  Bernard.  The  style  of  Jeremy 
Taylor  has  been  reproduced  in  many  a  modern 
Anglican  and  American  Episcopalian.  Henry  Ward 
Beecher  generously  confessed  his  obligation  to 
Barrowe  and  South;  and  the  most  casual  reader  of 
!\Ir.   Spurgeon's  sermons   must  have  observed   that 


254  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

his  thought  and  speech  were  saturated  with  the  lit- 
erature of  the  Puritan  preachers.  There  is  however 
a  growing  feeHng  that  the  study  of  pulpit  models  is 
unworthy  of  the  ministerial  profession,  and  conse- 
quently a  noble  and  essential  part  of  the  preacher's 
preparation  has  been  unduly  discredited.  The  abuse 
of  helps,  and  the  plagiarism  which  has  crept  into  the 
ministrations  of  many  churches  of  one  denomination, 
are  no  doubt  largely  the  cause  of  this  unfortunate 
mistake.  Lawyers  rejoice  in  the  traditions  of  the 
bar  ;  artists  learn  from  the  old  masters  the  secrets 
of  colour  and  form  ;  musicians  fill  their  souls  with 
the  harmonies  of  Beethoven  and  Mozart  until  new 
harmonies  rise  and  demand  expression  ;  soldiers 
never  weary  of  reading  the  records  of  those  who 
have  planned  campaigns  and  fought  fiercely-con- 
tested battles  in  other  times  ;  and  preachers  can  find 
no  more  valuable  help  toward  making  their  ser- 
mons effective  than  a  wise  study  of  the  methods 
and  achievements  of  the  pulpit  in  other  lands  and 
times.  The  sermons  of  McLcod  and  Guthrie,  Rob- 
ertson, Kingsley  and  Maurice,  Bethune  and  Bush- 
nell,  Beecher  and  Spurgcon,  Newman  and  Brooks 
arc  an  unfailing  inspiration,  and  cannot  be  too 
reverently  and  carefully  read.  The  object  of  this 
lecture  is  to  introduce  to  the  acquaintance  of  stu- 
dents and  young  preachers  a  few  of  the  master-spirits 
of  the  English  Congregational  pulpit,  and  tluis  to 
suggest  studies  which  may  be  profitably  pursued  in 


THE  PULPIT.  255 

the  future.  It  will  be  best  to  follow  a  chronologi- 
cal order,  and  it  will  be  impossible  within  these 
limits  to  do  much  more  than  mention  a  few  of  those 
great  expounders  of  the  Christian  revelation  who 
have  influenced  the  thought  and  developed  the  life 
of  the  Nonconformist  churches. 

The  three  most  conspicuous  Dissenting  preachers 
in  the  seventeenth  century  were  John  Robinson, 
John  Howe  and  John  Owen.  If  ministers  may  be 
judged  by  the  influences  which  they  start  rather 
than  by  the  sermons  which  they  publish  John  Rob- 
inson, the  Pilgrim  pastor,  was  one  of  the  greatest  of 
preachers,  and  yet  his  sphere  of  service  was  a 
narrow  one.  A  graduate  of  Cambridge,  a  profound 
thinker,  an  essayist  whose  writings  have  something 
of  the  grasp  of  thought  and  condensation  of  expres- 
sion which  characterised  Lord  Bacon,  it  is  hard  to 
think  of  him  as  preaching  to  that  little  group  of 
people  gathered  in  William  Brewster's  Manor  House 
in  Scrooby,  and  afterwards  as  leading  a  company  of 
dissentients  into  exile.  Such  men  usually  cling  to 
the  Universities  and  are  seldom  foremost  in  action. 
Robinson's  work  as  a  preacher  was  at  Scrooby,  where 
he  was  the  teacher  and  Clifton  the  pastor  ;  and 
afterwards  at  Leyden,  where  he  became  the  pastor 
of  the  little  church  of  Separatists,  a  part  of  whom 
became  the  Pilgrim  F'athers.  Robinson  was  a  man 
of  distinguished  intellectual  gifts.  While  in  Holland 
he  became  a  member  of  the  University  of  Leyden. 


256  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

His  week  days  were  devoted  to  his  duties  in  the 
University,  to  the  oversight  of  his  people,  and  to 
the  discussions  which  arose  between  the  Calvinists 
and  their  opponents.  No  man  in  the  University 
but  Robinson  was  considered  equal  to  the  task  of 
controverting  Episcopius,  the  champion  of  lax  views 
in  theology  ;  and  the  chroniclers  of  the  time  tell  us 
that  he  met  and  confounded  his  opponent,  to  the 
delight  of  all  who  had  chosen  him  their  representa- 
tive. Robinson,  I  believe,  has  left  no  sermons  be- 
hind him.  His  published  writings  are  chiefly  essays, 
from  which  it  may  be  supposed  that  he  usually 
preached  without  writing.  But  if  the  style  of  the 
essays  gives  a  hint  of  his  style  as  a  preacher  that 
little  church  at  Leyden  was  not  fed  on  milk.  When 
the  Pilgrims  sailed  for  the  New  World  their  pastor 
remained  behind,  intending  to  follow^  but  his  life 
was  cut  short  (1625),  and  he  never  joined  his  people 
at  Plymouth.  Little  is  known  of  him  as  a  preacher, 
yet  he  must  ever  be  regarded,  on  both  sides  of 
the  sea,  as  the  father  of  modern  Congregationalism. 
Doctrinally  he  was  a  High  Calvinist,  a  man  of  liberal 
spirit,  not  afraid  of  investigation,  and  always  open 
to  the  light. 

John  Howe  was  perhaps  the  most  prominent 
preacher  of  the  Cromwellian  period.  In  the  midst 
of  the  intellectual  desolation  of  the  Puritan  Revo- 
lution he  represented  the  highest  and  finest  scholar- 
ship, and  in  1657,  after  Cromwell  came  into  power. 


THE  PULPIT  257 

was  made  the  Private  Chaplain  of  the  Protector. 
Robinson's  literary  legacy  consists  of  a  few  essays  ; 
Howe  has  left  numerous  volumes  of  sermons,  man}' 
of  which  to  this  day  must  be  regarded  as  noble 
examples  of  pulpit  eloquence.  He  was  neither  so 
learned  as  John  Owen,  nor  so  keen  a  controversialist 
as  Richard  Baxter,  but  he  seems  to  have  had  a  finer 
spirit  and  a  more  spiritual  intellect  than  either  of  his 
great  compeers.  After  the  death  of  Oliver  and  the 
abdication  of  Richard  Cromwell,  Howe  retired  from 
office,  and  until  his  death  in  1705,  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  in  comparative  obscurity.  To 
that  obscurity  we  owe  some  of  his  profoundest 
teaching.  All  who  love  earnest  thinking,  nobly  ex- 
pressed, and  infused  with  supreme  reverence,  even 
after  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  have  passed,  may 
well  linger  long  with  John  Howe's  "  Living  Tem- 
ple," his  "  Principles  of  the  Oracles  of  God,"  and 
with  some  of  his  sermons,  like  that  on  "  Charity  in 
Reference  to  Other  Men's  Sins,"  "  The  Vanity  of 
a  Formal  Profession  of  Religion,"  or  "  The  Love  of 
God  and  our  Brother."  Howe  can  hardly  be  recom- 
mended as  a  model  for  the  pulpit  of  to-day ;  indeed 
it  is  hard  to  understand  how  his  hearers  were  pa- 
tient enough  to  sit  through  discourses  so  long  a 
those  which  he  preached.  They  were  not  popula; 
in  the  modern  sense.  They  were  addressed  to  the 
intellect  rather  than  to  the  heart.  They  contain 
few  illustrations,  and  are  more  like  great  treatises 


258  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

on  theology  and  ethics  than  Hke  direct  addresses  to 
h'ving  men  in  the  midst  of  the  storm  and  stress  of 
every-day  hfe  ;  and  yet  they  are  glorious  examples 
of  their  own  peculiar  style  of  pulpit  oratory. 

John  Owen  (1616-1683)  was  a  tower  of  strength  to 
early  Nonconformity,  his  career  really  beginning  in 
resistance  to  Archbishop  Laud's  regulations.  He 
also  belonged  to  the  period  of  the  Commonwealth. 
At  first  his  sympathies  were  largely  with  the  Pres- 
byterian party,  but  his  Separatist  principles  gradu- 
ally becoming  pronounced,  he  upheld  the  Indepen- 
dent form  of  church  government,  and  thenceforward 
he  was  a  leader  in  the  cause  of  liberty,  being  sum- 
moned several  times  to  preach  before  Parliament — 
once,  the  day  after  the  execution  of  Charles  I. ;  an 
appointment,  however,  which  he  did  not  fulfil. 
Owen  was  a  great  favourite  with  Cromwell,  and  when 
the  Protectorate  was  established  he  w^as  made  Dean 
of  Christ  Church  at  Oxford.  In  1663  he  was  invited 
to  a  pastorate  in  America  but  declined  to  leave 
England.  He  was  a  voluminous  author,  a  scholar  of 
encyclopedic  information,  a  controversialist  equal  to 
Richard  Baxter,  and  yet  he  was  as  tolerant  of  the 
views  of  others  as  he  was  positive  in  his  own  con- 
victions. Without  compromising  himself  he  was 
able  to  hold  and  advocate  his  own  principles  so  as 
to  retain  the  personal  confidence  of  Kings  Charles 
II.  and  James  II.,  who  often  conferred  with  him 
concerning  the  welfare  of  their  Dissenting  subjects. 


THE  ruLPir.  259 

In  the  )car  1670,  he  was  invited  to  the  presidency  of 
Harvard  College  in  the  Massachusetts  Colony,  and 
■was  also  invited  to  similar  duties  in  Dutch  Universi- 
ties. These  calls  he  declined.  Owen  passed  his  life 
in  publicity,  and  his  works,  which  are  very  verbose 
in  style,  should  be  read  with  this  fact  in  mind.  He 
was  like  the  old  prophets  in  the  range  of  what  he  was 
called  to  do.  He  nobly  performed  the  tasks  imposed 
upon  him  by  Providence,  and  his  name  will  live  with 
that  of  Robinson,  Howe  and  even  with  that  of 
Cromwell  himself. 

In  the  eighteenth  century  we  find  two  men  who 
were  great  spiritual  forces  and  who  exerted  a  forma- 
tive influence  in  carh'  English  Independency.  Their 
names  rise  like  mountain  peaks  from  a  level  of  com- 
parative barrenness  in  religion.  Living  in  the  gen- 
eration preceding  the  Evangelical  Revival  under 
Wesley  and  Whitefield,  they  were  in  some  respects 
its  forerunners.  It  is  easy  to  go  farther  and  assert 
that  Watts  and  Doddridge  were  the  necessary  pre- 
cursors of  the  W^esleys  and  WMiitcficld.  They  were 
very  different  men.  Watts  and  Doddridge  preached 
to  select  congregations  ;  Wesley  and  Whitefield 
appealed  to  the  masses  outside  the  churches. 
Watts  is  remembered  chicfl}-  as  a  writer  of  hymns, 
of  which  some  are  unsurpassed  in  any  language, 
while  many  others  have  become  a  burden  to  our 
liymn-books  and  the  despair  of  those  who  desire  to 
introduce  into  our  h\'mnolog\'  not  onh'  noble 
thoughts  but  also  appropriate  literary  expression. 


26o  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

In  his  time  Isaac  Watts  was  the  most  eminent  of 
English  preachers,  and  one  of  the  most  voluminous 
and  versatile  of  English  authors.  He  was  prominent 
both  in  letters  and  philosophy.  He  was  born  in 
Southampton  in  July,  1674,  and  died  in  London 
November  25tli,  1748.  At  twenty-seven  years  of 
age  he  became  pastor  of  Mark  Lane  Chai)el,  Lon- 
don. Although  throughout  all  his  long  and  brill- 
iant career  a  victim  of  disease,  often  compelled  to 
preach  when  suffering  unutterable  pain,  he  contin- 
ued his  work  with  unabated  zeal  and  fidelity,  and 
remains  to  this  day  one  of  the  most  justly  honoured 
of  all  those  men  who  have  had  a  part  in  shaping  our 
polity.  The  characteristics  of  his  pulpit  oratory 
were  the  clearness  of  his  logical  processes,  the 
almost  crystalline  beauty  of  his  style,  and  his  con- 
stant appeal  to  Scripture.  His  rhetoric  was  fine, 
but  not  florid.  He  was  possessed  of  a  musical  voice, 
and  of  elocution  the  nearest  perfection  among  the 
public  speakers  of  his  time.  His  sermons  in  print, 
however,  lack  magnetism.  They  have  a  mechan- 
ical quality,  a  suggestion  of  Blair's  Rhetoric,  a  kind 
of  writing  which  belongs  to  a  society  where  men 
are  more  intent  on  style  than  on  results;  they 
show  little  of  that  fine  spiritual  suggestion  which 
is  so  common  in  Robertson  and  Bushnell,  and 
nothing  of  that  fervour  and  glow  which  illuminate 
the  pages  of  Brooks  and  Beecher.  His  sermon  on 
"  The  Love  of  God,"  which   is   the  introduction   to 


THE  PULPIT.  261 

the  series  oil  "  The  Influence  of  the  Love  of  God  on 
the  Passions,"  is  clear  and  strong,  but  does  not  take 
hold  of  the  reader  and  compel  his  attention.  His 
exquisite  elocution  and  earnestness  of  manner,  how 
ever,  probably  compensated  for  lack  of  magnetism 
in  composition.  Many  of  his  hymns  have  exactly 
the  qualit}-  which  is  most  missed  in  his  sermons. 
His  prose  contains  nothing  so  uplifting,  and  elo- 
quent, as  the  h)'mn  whose  first  stanza  is : 

"  Eternal  Wisdom,  Thee  we  praise ; 
Thee  the  creation  sings  : 
With  Thy  loud  name  rocks,  hills  and  seas 
And  heaven's  high  palace  rings." 

Watts  was  a  philosopher  as  well  as  a  preacher,  and 
although  he,  who  by  many  was  regarded  as  the  equal 
of  John  Locke  in  speculative  thought,  could  not 
be  expected  to  have  the  fire  of  a  popular  orator  ; 
)'et  he  was  the  most  popular  preacher  of  his  time. 
In  his  later  life  hi?  doctrinal  views  underwent  a 
serious  change.  While  he  never  became  Unita- 
rian he  approached  Arianism.  Of  him  Dr.  John- 
son has  said  :  "  He  was  one  of  the  first  authors  that 
taught  the  Dissenters  to  court  attention  by  the 
graces  of  language.  Whatever  they  had  among 
them  before,  whether  of  learning  or  acuteness,  was 
commonly  obscured  and  blunted  by  coarseness  and 
inelegance  of  style.  He  showed  them  that  zeal  and 
purity  might  be  expressed  and  enforced  by  polished 


262  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

diction."  "  Dr.  Viccsimus  Knox,  in  his  "Christian 
J'hilosophy/'  has  thus  characterised  Watts:  "For 
my  own  part  I  cannot  but  think  that  this  good  man 
approached  as  nearly  to  Christian  perfection  as  any 
mortal  ever  did  in  this  sublunary  state.  .  .  And  be 
it  ever  remembered  that  Dr.  Watts  was  a  man  who 
studied  the  abstrusest  sciences,  and  was  as  well 
qualified  to  become  a  verbal  critic  or  a  logical  dis- 
putant on  the  Scriptures,  as  the  most  learned  among 
the  Doctors  of  the  Sorbonne  or  the  greatest  pro- 
fessors in  polemical  divinity."  And  of  his  preach- 
ing Dr.  Southey  has  said  :  "  His  sermons  had  all 
the  advantages  that  could  be  given  them  by  an  im- 
pressive elocution  and  a  manner  of  delivery  which 
with  curious  felicity  seems  to  have  been  at  the 
same  time  elaborately  studied  yet  earnestly  sin- 
cere." f  Eminent  as  a  scholar,  a  preacher,  a  poet  ; 
a  man  of  rare  spirituality,  who  had  the  faculty  for 
presenting  truth  so  as  to  make  it  credible  to  the 
thoughtful ;  the  herald  of  the  new  day  which  was 
to  break  on  English  Christianity  through  Wesley 
and  Whitefield  ;  the  first  minister  to  declare  and  for- 
mally to  defend  anti-State  principles,  Isaac  Watts 
must  ever  be  remembered  as  one  of  the  most  vital 
forces  in  the  development  of  Christian  thought  and 
Independent  ecclesiastical  polity  in  Great  Britain. 
When   Sir   Humphrey   Davy  was  asked  what  he 

*  Life  of  Watts,  Harsha,  p.  44. 
t  Idevi. 


THE  PULPIT.  263 

considered  liis  greatest  discovery,  he  replied, 
"  Michael  Faraday."  It  would  not  be  true  to  say 
that  Isaac  Watts  was  the  discoverer  of  Philip  Dodd- 
ridge, but  the  names  of  Watts  and  Doddridge  are 
associated  in  much  the  same  way  as  those  of 
Davy  and  Faraday.  Doddridge  died  only  three 
years  after  Watts,  yet  it  may  almost  be  said  that 
Watts  was  the  Elijah  and  Doddridge  the  Elisha  of 
the  Nonconformity  of  the  eighteenth  centui)-. 
Watts  was  a  theologian  as  well  as  a  preacher,  and 
Doddridge  was,  perhaps,  the  chief  theological  in- 
structor of  his  generation.  Watts  was  the  first  great 
English  hymnologist,  and  Doddridge  was  the  second. 
Watts  lived  to  be  seventy-five  years  old,  in  feeble 
health  most  of  the  time;  three  years  later  (1751) 
Doddridge  died,  at  fifty  years  of  age,  his  last  years 
having  been  passed  in  much  pain  and  anguish  of 
spirit.  Doddridge  looked  to  Watts  as  his  master 
and  leader,  and  }et  Doddridge  seems  to  me 
decidedly  the  more  interesting  character.  There  is 
something  strangely  beautiful  in  the  history  of  that 
man,  for  twenty-one  years  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Northampton,  working  among  those  who  were  intel- 
lectually inferior  to  him,  inspiring  them  by  the  sim- 
plicity and  beauty  of  his  character,  and,  at  the  same 
time  that  he  was  preaching  to  the  common  people, 
conducting  a  theological  seminary,  in  which  he 
combined  in  his  own  person  a  complete  theological 
facult)'.     Like   Watts    he    is    known   chiefly  by  his 


264  THE  PlLGklM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

hymns.  If  the  Reformation  under  Wesley  sung  its 
place  into  the  hearts  of  the  English  people,  Watts 
and  Doddridge  had  as  much  to  do  with  that  almost 
preternatural  revival  as  the  Wesleys  and  Whitefield. 
Charles  Wesley's  hymns  were  unwritten  when  those 
of  Watts  and  Doddridge  were  in  the  hearts  of  the 
people.  Doddridge  possessed  a  nature  of  exquisite 
spirituality.  He  is  best  known  by  his  books,  "  The 
Rise  and  Progress  of  Religion  in  the  Soul,"  and 
"  The  Family  Expositor  " — which  contains  a  version 
and  paraphrase  of  the  New  Testament,  with  critical 
notes  and  comments.  Of  his  hymns  there  need  be 
mentioned  only  those  beginning,  "  Let  Zion's  watch- 
men all  awake,"  "  My  God,  Thy  service  well 
demands,"  and  "  Awake  my  soul  to  meet  the  day." 
Many  of  his  hymns  were  written  as  perorations  to 
his  sermons.  He  was  accustomed  to  condense 
argument  and  application  into  a  few  verses  at  the 
close  of  a  sermon,  and  thus  some  of  the  richest  and 
most  beautiful  hymns  in  our  language  came  into 
being.  The  chief  object  of  Dr.  Doddridge  as  a  theo- 
logical instructor  was  to  make  his  students  experi- 
mental preachers,  and  he  encouraged  them  to  think, 
write  and  speak  much  on  subjects  connected  with 
vital  religion.  He  had  large  hospitality  for  all  that 
is  fine  and  beautiful  in  literature,  and  trained  his 
students  to  scholarly  habits.  The  University  of 
Aberdeen  conferred  on  him  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity.      His  sermons  are  far  more   natural  and 


THE  rULPIT.  265 

inspiring,  s}-nipathctic  and  vitalising,  than  those  of 
Watts  ;  and  }'ct  his  cliief  and  most  enduring  work 
was  not  as  pastor  at  Northampton,  but  as  the 
founder  of  institutions  for  theological  education  in 
Great  Britain,  and  as  a  hymnologist.  As  the  names 
of  Robinson,  Howe  and  Owen  rise  above  those  of 
all  other  Independent  preachers  in  the  seventeenth 
century,  so  the  names  of  Watts  and  Doddridge  are 
equally  prominent  in  the  eighteenth.  Men  of  such 
culture,  whose  sermons  were  widely  read,  whose 
books  were  recognised  as  among  the  best  helps  to 
the  spiritual  life  ;  whose  hymns  were  the  finest  ex- 
pression of  devout  aspiration  in  the  language,  could 
not  fail  to  win  something  of  favour  and  toleration  for 
the  people  among  whom  they  worked,  and  to  whose 
service  they  had  given  their  lives.  The  study  of 
ecclesiastical  history  in  England  in  the  eighteenth 
century  is  by  no  means  inspiring.  The  people  were 
turned  to  evil  ways;  infidelity  and  a  cruel  and 
cheerless  Deism  absorbed  the  thoughts  of  multitudes 
of  men  ;  but  no  time  should  be  called  barren  which 
can  point  to  such  thinkers,  teachers,  authors, 
preachers  and  singers  as  Isaac  Watts  and  Philip 
Doddridge.  They  were  friends  while  they  lived, 
and  their  names  are  indissolubly  Imked  in  the  history 
of  the  Free  Churches  of  England. 

In  the  present  century  there  have  been  many 
eminent  and  honoured,  as  well  as  eloquent  and 
faithful,  preachers  in  the    English    Congregational 


266  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

pulpit.  At  a  public  gathering  in  the  United  States 
a  minister  spoke  substantially  as  follows  :  "  I  believe 
that  the  English  Church  is  the  greatest  Church  on 
the  earth.  It  has  given  the  world  its  greatest 
authors,  its  most  eminent  workers,  and  its  noblest 
preachers."  He  was  thinking  of  the  Establishment, 
and  he  spoke  not  as  an  Anglican  churchman,  but  as 
an  American  Congregationalist.  His  testimony  is 
valuable,  but  it  is  sadly  out  of  harmony  with  facts, 
— so  far  as  concerns  preachers.  It  is  doubtful  if 
any  Church  ever  produced  more  brilliant  and  con- 
secrated preachers  than  have  occupied  the  Con- 
gregational pulpits  of  England  since  this  century 
began.  They  have  not  filled  a  very  large  place  in 
the  world's  thought  because  they  have  been  "  Dis- 
senters "  ;  but  when  their  sermons  are  studied,  the 
work  which  they  did  tested,  and  the  quality  of  their 
ministry  compared  with  that  of  others,  those  Inde- 
pendent ministers  rise  to  an  unquestioned  equality 
with  the  best  preachers  and  workers  of  their  genera- 
tion. Many  of  them  are  little  known  on  this  side 
of  the  water,  but  they  cannot  be  long  unknown  to 
any  who  reach  below  the  surface  of  society  in  Great 
Britain,  and  who  would  become  acquainted  with  the 
influences  which  have  there  moulded  thought  and  life. 
Among  them  are  John  Angell  James  of  Birmingham, 
the  predecessor  of  that  preeminent  Christian  scholar 
and  preacher,  Robert  W.  Dale  ;  Robert  S.  McAU 
of  Manchester,  who    in   the  intensity  of  his  style  re- 


THE  PULPIT.  id-J 

miiuls  one  of  Robertson  ;  Dr.  Richard  Winter  Ilcini- 
ilton  of  Leeds,  an  orator  of  impassioned  eloquence  ; 
William  Jay  of  Bath,  whose  "  Morning  and  Kvening 
Exercises"  have  been  read  around  the  world; 
Thomas  Raffles  of  Liverpool,  that  genial  Christian 
gentleman,  that  born  Bishop,  that  preacher  whose 
name  is  associated  with  almost  all  great  movements 
in  the  recent  history  of  Lancashire  ;  James  Parsons 
of  York,  who  resisted  all  appeals  from  larger  cities, 
but  whose  splendid  eloquence  gave  him  a  fame 
brighter  than  that  of  any  Archbishop  of  York  in 
former  times  ;  Samuel  Martin  of  Westminster  Chapel 
in  London,  to  whom  with  rare  unanimity  was  ap- 
plied the  epithet  of  "saintly";  James  Baldwin 
Browm  of  Brixton,  who  did  more  than  any  man  in  re- 
cent times  to  liberalise  Nonconformist  theology,  who 
seems  to  have  united  in  one  almost  unique  person- 
ality the  spirit  of  a  cavalier  and  of  a  Puritan,  to 
whom  John  Hunter  has  applied  the  phrase  that 
Gladstone  applied  to  Maurice — "  the  spiritual  splen- 
dour of  the  world  "  ;  and  last,  and  perhaps  greatest 
of  all,  that  impersonation  of  English  Congregation- 
alism, and  noblest  orator  of  modern  English  Non- 
conformit)',  the  lion-visaged,  lion-hearted  Thomas 
Binney.  I  must  not  forget  to  add  to  these  the 
names  of  James  Sherman  of  Tottenham  Court  Road, 
Dr.  John  Harris  of  New  College,  London,  Campbell 
and  the  Claytons,  Collier  and  Dr.  Vaughan,  Enoch 
Mellor  of    Halifax,   Dr.  Andrew    Reed,   founder  of 


268  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Ayslums  for  Idiots,  Dr.  Halley,  Thomas  Jones,  the 
poet-preacher,  A.  J.  Morris,  Dr.  Alex.  Raleigh, 
George  William  Conder  of  Leeds,  David  Thomas  of 
Bristol  ;  and  I  might  mention  many  others  who  ex- 
erted a  powerful  influence  while  they  lived,  and 
whose  spirit  is  still  vital  in  the  churches  to  which 
they  ministered. 

A  closer  inspection  of  these  names  suggests  many 
interesting  facts.  Most  of  these  ministers  had  but 
one  pastorate.  John  Angell  James  was  for  fifty- 
four  years  pastor  of  Carr's  Lane  Chapel  in  Birm- 
ingham ;  Andrew  Reed  was  fifty  years  with  Wycliffe 
Chapel,  London  ;  Thomas  Binney  for  forty  years 
was  pastor  of  the  Weigh  House  Chapel  in  Lon- 
don ;  James  Parsons  passed  his  whole  ministry  in 
York,  and  his  father,  Edward  Parsons,  was  forty- 
eight  years  pastor  of  a  church  in  Leeds ;  Samuel 
Martin  spent  nearly  his  whole  ministerial  life  in 
Westminster  Chapel,  and  Baldwin  Brown  tarried 
but  two  or  three  years  in  Bedford  before  he 
took  up  the  work  in  Brixton  which  he  laid 
down  only  with  his  life.  There  is  something  beau- 
tiful and  inspiring  in  these  long  pastorates,  and  the 
memory  of  those  ministers  is  enshrined  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  churches  which  they  served,  and  rests 
upon  them  like  a  benediction.  Those  men  must 
have  been  possessed  of  peculiar  intellectual  and 
spiritual  gifts,  for  churches  are  quick  to  detect  false 
notes  in  the  lives  of  their  leaders.     And  let  it  also 


THE  PULPIT.  2G() 

be  added  that  those  arc  great  churches  which  know- 
how  to  keep  their  pastors. 

To  attempt  to  classify  the  men  whose  names  have 
been  mentioned  is  a  more  difficult  task.  John 
Angell  James,  as  would  be  expected  from  his  books, 
was  not  only  a  giant  intellectually,  but  a  man  of 
exangelical  spirit,  more  anxious  concerning  the 
upbuilding  of  his  people  in  the  spiritual  life  than 
the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  Disestablish- 
ment. Robert  S.  McAll,  the  peerless  preacher  of 
Manchester  in  his  day,  had  that  intensity  of  expres- 
sion, combined  with  that  intuitive  faculty,  which  so 
often  belongs  to  those  who  struggle  with  physical 
disease.  His  sermons,  while  they  have  a  well-de- 
fined framework  of  Calvinism,  impress  me  as  preem- 
inently spiritual.  On  the  other  hand,  Samuel  Mar- 
tin, while  he  was  not  less  spiritual,  was  in  an  almost 
unique  fashion  a  Biblical  preacher.  Every  lesson 
in  his  sermons  seems  to  have  been  drawn  from  the 
Scriptures.  His  lecture  on  "  Socialism  "  is  a  cur- 
ious illustration  of  how  a  man  of  one  book  will  find 
in  it  the  inspiration  of  all  his  intellectual  opera- 
tions. In  that  lecture  every  thought  concerning 
"  the  straits  of  pure  Socialism  "  is  drawn  from  some 
character  or  scene  in  the  book  of  Genesis. 

Those  "great  lights  of  Nonconformity  "  were  im- 
mensely helped  by  the  enthusiasm  of  their  congre- 
gations. James  preached  to  large  audiences  in 
Birmingham  ;  McAll  did  not  live  to  see  his  wishes 


270  THE  riLijRIM  JA'  OLD  ENGLAiVD. 

for  a  large  church  rcah'sed,  but  his  people  inspired 
him  with  their  sympathy  ;  Samuel  Martin's  preach- 
ing was  so  effective  that  after  the  church  which 
seated  fifteen  hundred  had  been  filled  to  overflowing 
there  was  built  for  him  in  Westminster  the  now 
famous  Chapel,  which  seats  three  thousand,  and  in 
that  he  ministered  for  ten  years,  until  worn  out  with 
much  service  he  passed  from  his  "  saintly  "  life  on 
the  earth  to  the  general  assembly  of  the  saints  above. 
James  Parsons,  or,  as  he  was  commonly  called, 
"  Parsons  of  York,"  was  intensely  evangelistic  in 
spirit  and  manner,  and  his  sermons,  while  not  less 
Biblical  than  those  of  other  preachers  of  his  time, 
were  perhaps  more  directly  aimed  at  the  conversion 
of  individual  sinners.  Parsons  and  McAll,  and 
most  of  the  others  whose  names  have  been  men- 
tioned, as  was  common  in  the  early  years  of  the 
present  century,  emphasised  the  severer  sides  of 
Scripture  teaching,  and  yet  the  love  of  God  as  the 
prime  motive  in  the  spiritual  life  was  never  long  out 
of  sight.  The  phrase  "knowing  the  terror  of  the 
Lord  "  had  a  different  meaning  fifty  years  ago  from 
what  it  has  to-day.  Even  such  preachers  as  Mr. 
Spurgeon  and  others  of  the  literalistic  school,  sel- 
dom refer  in  late  years  to  the  punishment  of  sin  in 
the  realistic  way  that  formerly  was  almost  universal 
among  Calvinistlc  divines. 

Paxton    Hood    has    likened   Thomas    Binney   to 
Lacordaire,    and    in    one    of    his  vivid  lectures  the 


THE  rULPIT.  271 

names  of  the  great  French  Benedictine  and  tiic 
Eni^lish  Independent  are  united  as  tlic  subject  of 
the  lecture.  Binney  was  unquestionably  the  leader 
of  Nonconformity  in  his  time,  the  one  who  did 
more  than  any  other  to  bring  into  prominence,  and 
keep  before  the  public,  the  essential  evil  of  the 
Establishment  as  a  hindrance  to  the  Kingdom  of 
God.  I  lis  figure  was  tall  and  commanding  ;  his 
face  when  in  repose  was  like  that  of  a  sleeping  lion, 
and  when  he  was  thrilled  by  some  great  theme  he 
towered  above  common  men  like  a  king.  It  was 
often  said  that  if  Thomas  Binney  had  not  been  one 
of  the  most  prominent  of  English  preachers  he 
would  have  been  one  of  the  most  eminent  of  Eng- 
lish barristers.  Those  who  differed  from  him  most 
were  the  first  to  acknowledge  the  preeminence  of  his 
intellect,  the  intensity  of  his  spirit,  and  the  courage 
of  his  heart.  His  audience  probably  contained  as 
many  educated  men  as  any  other  congregation  in 
London.  His  style  was  usually  thoughtful  and 
calm,  but  when  fired  by  some  great  occasion  he 
rose  to  magnificent  eloquence.  There  is  much  in 
the  descriptions  of  Binne\'  as  a  preacher  which 
remind  an  American  both  of  Henry  Ward  Beecher 
and  Dr.  Richard  S.  Storrs.  He  had  that  flaming 
eloquence  and  endless  variety  of  mood  which 
characterised  Beecher,  and  something  of  the  dignit}- 
of  manner  and  splendour  of  diction  which  distin- 
euish   Dr.    Storrs.     An  utterance  said   to  ha\'e  been 


2/2  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

made  by  him  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  his 
church,  which  he  never  made  in  the  form  in  which 
it  was  reported,  namely,  that  "The  Church  of  Eng- 
land had  destroyed  more  souls  than  it  had  saved," 
fell  like  a  spark  on  tinder,  and  instantly  Binney  was 
the  most  abused  man  in  all  Great  Britain.  But  he 
was  not  easily  daunted,  and  did  not  shrink  from  the 
controversy.  Although  he  seemed  to  have  been 
made  for  war  he  was  a  man  of  great  sympathy, 
especially  for  those  who  were  troubled  with  doubts 
concerning  Christianity.  Consequently  he  had  much 
influence  with  young  men.  The  name  of  no  leader 
of  the  past  generation  of  English  Independents  is  so 
frequently  heard  on  the  lips  of  those  now  living  as 
that  of  Thomas  Binney.  He  left  strict  injunctions 
against  the  publication  of  a  biography  ;  neverthe- 
less, Dr.  Allon,  in  introducing  a  volume  of  his 
sermons,  has  ventured  to  give  an  interesting  sketch 
of  his  life  ;  and  Paxton  Hood  has  written  most  help- 
fully concerning  this  prince  of  English  preachers. 

Of  the  men  of  this  generation  the  one  who  did 
more  than  any  other  Independent  to  modify  the 
theology  of  his  day  was  James  Baldwin  Brown. 
He  died  early  in  1884,  but  his  memory  is  as  fragrant 
in  the  Independent  Church  at  Brixton,  and  among 
the  people  whom  he  loved,  as  on  the  day  of  his 
death.  He  was  the  son  of  an  English  barrister. 
He  was  intended  by  his  father  for  the  law,  but, 
finally,  under  the   influence  of  the  Spirit,  became  a 


THE  ruLPiT.  273 

Christian,  and  a  minister.  For  many  years  after 
coming  to  London  he  was  regarded  with  suspicion 
by  both  the  ciuirchcs  and  his  brethren  in  the  minis- 
try because  of  his  somewhat  attenuated  orthodoxy. 
An  intensely  earnest,  chivah'ic,  honest  spirit,  he 
could  endure  no  sham,  and  would  rather  be  mis 
understood  than  utter  one  word  not  absolutely  true. 
He  has  been  called  "  the  Maurice  of  English  Con- 
gregationalism."  Baldwin  Brown  was  a  far  greater 
preacher  than  Maurice,  though  not  so  profound  a 
thinker.  Maurice  had  essentially  the  philosophical 
temper.  He  wrought  in  silence.  He  was  a  univer- 
sity professor.  He  saw  things  from  the  literary 
point  of  view.  He  has  been  called  the  Plato  of 
modern  theology,  and  well  deserves  that  supreme 
praise.  Baldwin  Brown,  on  the  other  hand,  reached 
intuitively  the  conclusions  which  Maurice  reached 
by  slower  processes.  All  that  Brown  wrote  bears 
the  stamp  of  a  man  constantly  dealing  with  the 
pressure  of  present  problems.  He  was  a  scholar, 
but  not  scholastic.  He  never  wrote  as  one  outside 
the  struggle  of  life  but  as  one  in  the  midst  of  its 
pain  and  suffering.  There  is  an  intensity  in  his 
style,  an  eager  reaching,  rushing  toward  conclusions, 
which  distinguishes  him  as  one  sharing  in  the  suffer- 
ings of  those  around  him  and  a  partner  in  their 
struggles.  Among  English  Independents  he  was 
the  first  to  give  prominence  to  "the  larger  hope." 
The   love  of   God  was  central  and  regulative  in  his 


2/4  ^^^  PILGRIM  IX  OLD  ENGLAND. 

theology.  He  had  a  unique  power  of  interpreting 
to  young  men  their  own  best  thoughts,  and  leading 
them  step  by  step  out  of  intellectual  and  spiritual 
darkness.  By  his  personality  he  preached  quite  as 
eloquently  as  by  his  words.  For  years  he  paid  the 
penalty  of  being  a  suspect.  But  working  on  in 
silence,  true  to  the  truth  as  it  was  made  known 
unto  him,  at  length  his  splendid  manhood  superb 
intellectual  gifts,  and  lofty  spiritual  character  swept 
all  before  them,  and  in  1878  the  Congregational 
Union  of  England  and  Wales  honoured  itself  when 
it  honoured  him  by  calling  him  to  be  its  Chairman. 
The  addresses  which  he  published  that  year  are 
among  the  ablest  which  have  ever  been  given  from 
that  Chair.  The  first  one  was  entitled,  "  Our  Theo- 
logy in  Relation  to  the  Intellectual  Movement  of 
our  Time  "  ;  and  the  second,  "  The  Perfect  Law  of 
Liberty." 

A  passage  near  the  end  of  his  second  address 
reads  like  a  description  of  himself,  so  fully  did  he 
believe  that  the  only  solution  of  modern  problems 
is  to  be  found  in  a  return  to  the  simplicity  of  Christ. 
He  says:  "  The  fundamental  principle  of  the  Chris- 
tian policy  is,  'You  leaders  and  people  must  first  be 
reformed  before  you  can  reform  society.  Begin  the 
work  within.'  That  principle  saved  society  from  a 
bloody  revolution  when  first  the  Gospel  preached 
its  doctrines  of  liberty  to  all  classes  of  mankind  ; 
that  principle  lent  to  our  great   Revolution  a  lofty 


THE  J'ULP/T. 


-/D 


religious  character  which  is  unique  in  history  ;  that 
principle,  through  the  great  evangelistic  revival  at 
the  end  of  the  last  century,  saved  this  country  from 
the  saturnalia  of  lust  and  blood  which  filled  France 
with  anguish  ;  and  that  principle  alone  will  save  us 
in  these  days  of  tremendous  social  travail  which  arc 
coming  upon  the  world."  " 

Binney  was  the  great  Nonconformist  leader  of  the 
first  two-thirds  of  the  nineteenth  ccntur}-;  after  him 
Baldwin  Brown  was  until  his  death  a  foremost 
spiritual  leader.  I  do  not  use  the  word  theological, 
because  with  him  theology  manifested  itself  in 
spiritual  rather  than  intellectual  forms.  He  ap- 
preciated the  peril  of  those  who  feel  their  faith  slip- 
ping away  from  them,  and  it  was  the  passion  of  his 
life  to  present  Christianity  in  a  way  that  would 
commend  itself  to  the  conscience  and  intellect  of 
the  people  to  whom  he  ministered  ; — in  other  words, 
he  was  more  concerned  about  men  than  systems  of 
thought,  about  spiritual  life  than  theology.  More 
than  any  other  Congregationalist  of  recent  years, 
except  Dr.  Dale,  his  books  have  been  read  by  cul- 
tured Nonconformists — and  indeed  by  Churchmen 
also. 

The  student  will  look  in  vain  through  the  history' 
of  the  Establishment,  and  through  the  history  of  all 
other  religious  bodies,  for  such  a  galaxy  of  preach- 
ers as  those  whose  names  have  been  mentioned  as 
*  "  Year  Book,"  1879,  P-  ^oo- 


2/6  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

conspicuous  in  the  early  part  and  middle  of  the 
present  century — the  "  Angel  "  James,  the  "  Saintly  " 
Martin,  the  genial,  eloquent  and  impassioned  Ra,ffles, 
the  intense  and  intuitive  McAll,  the  evangelistic 
Parsons,  the  leonine  Thomas  Binney,  and  that  great 
spiritual  leader,  Baldwin  Brown.  If  English  Congre- 
gationalism had  done  nothing  for  the  world  except 
to  raise  up  men  like  these  to  sound  the  knell  of 
decaying  institutions  and  unworthy  traditions,  with 
their  splendid  eloquence  and  consecrated  service,  it 
would  still  have  a  history  in  which  all  who  bear  the 
Christian  name  might  well  rejoice. 

But  now  the  c^ucstion  arises,  Have  those  men 
worthy  successors,  or  have  they  left  places  which 
can  never  be  filled  ?.  That  inquiry  is  not  diiScult 
to  answer.  The  same  pulpits  are  not  all  occupied 
by  men  equally  distinguished.  Churches,  as  well  as 
ministers  have  their  peculiar  work.  Localities 
change.  The  old  Weigh  House  Chapel  in  London, 
which  years  ago  blazed  with  Binney's  eloquence,  was 
torn  down  in  the  interests  of  an  underground  rail- 
way. Westminster  Chapel  is  surrounded  by  differ- 
ent people  from  those  who  were  there  in  the  days 
of  Samuel  Martin's  beautiful  ministry.  Even 
Carr's  Lane  in  Birmingham,  the  church  of  Angell 
James  and  Dr.  Dale,  is  far  downtown.  In  most 
places  the  churches  which  were  prominent  half  a 
century  ago  are  not  equally  prominent  now.  But 
who  for  a  moment  imagines  that  John  Angell  James 


THE  PULPIT.  2'J'J 

ill  his  palmiest  daj's,  in  intellectual  \ii^our  or  in  spir- 
itual fervour,  ever  surpassed  him  who  succeeded  to 
that  ministry,  and  has  continued  it  now  for  forty 
years,  who  was  honoured  b}'  being  made  President 
of  the  first  International  Congregational  Council — 
Robert  W.  Dale?  Among  the  older  men  eminent 
in  the  English  pulpit  must  be  mentioned  the  able, 
the  courtly  and  sweet-spirited  Henry  Allon  of  Union 
Chapel,  Islington,  who,  if  he  had  lived  a  few  months 
longer  would  have  celebrated  the  fiftieth  anniversary 
of  his  pastorate  of  one  church  ;  Joshua  Harrison, 
who  was  quite  as  long  pastor  of  the  Park  Church  in 
Camden  Town  ;  Edward  White,  who,  after  a  long 
and  honoured  ministr}-  in  the  pulpit,  is  devoting  him- 
self to  literature;  and  J.  Guinness  Rogers  of  Clap- 
ham,  who  for  forty  years  has  been  almost  as  great 
a  force  in  the  political  as  in  the  spiritual  life  of  Eng- 
land. These  ministers,  arid  many  others  in  London, 
as  well  as  in  the  Provinces,  bear  witness  that  the 
Congregational  pulpit  in  England  is  not  losing  its 
power. 

When  we  turn  from  these  men  to  those  who  are 
younger,  and  think  of  Fairbairn,  Mackennal,  George 
S.  Barrett  ;  and  among  the  still  younger  men  note 
the  splendid  earnestness  of  Robert  F.  Horton,  the 
popular  gifts  of  Charles  A.  Berr}-,  the  unquestioned 
power  of  John  Hunter,  and  the  brilliant  oratory  of 
C.  Silvester  Home,  we  are  sure  that  the  race  of 
great   preachers   is  not   extinct.     Never  were  there 


278  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

abler  men,  more  popular  orators,  more  consecrated 
spirits,  in  the  pulpits  of  England  than  those  whose 
names  have  been  enumerated,  and  there  are  many 
others  who  are  worthy  to  be  in  the  same  fellow- 
ship. 

Dr.  Dale  is  easily  the  most  eminent  of  living  Con- 
gregationalists.  His  works  are  so  well  known  that 
attention  need  be  called  only  to  the  ethical  ele- 
ment which  pervades  them,  to  the  air  of  serious 
earnestness  wliich  is  never  absent,  to  a  subtile  sym- 
pathy which  evades  characterisation,  yet  which  is 
inseparable  from  them,  and  to  a  certain  richness 
of  diction  and  chastened  splendour  of  rhetoric 
which  is  never  found  except  in  those  who  have 
studied  much  and  suffered  much.  In  the  list  of 
those  who  read  their  sermons  Dr.  Dale  is  probably 
unequalled  in  the  world. 

The  greatest  genius  in  the  English  pulpit  is  un- 
doubtedly Joseph  Parker.  He  is  a  man  of  unique 
personality,  one  whose  mannerisms  often  prevent 
the  richness  of  his  thought  from  finding  the  recogni- 
tion which  it  deserves.  To  my  own  mind  Parker  is 
vastly  more  suggestive  than  Spurgeon  ever  was,  and 
when  he  forgets  himself  and  rises  into  the  realm  of 
the  spirit,  few  in  our  time  are  his  superiors.  It  is 
no  little  thing  for  so  many  years  to  have  held  a 
church  in  the  heart  of  the  business  district  of  Old 
London,  remote  from  all  residential  quarters,  and 
that  not    only  on   Sabbath   da)'s  but  on  week  days. 


THE  PULPIT.  279 

If  Joseph  Parker  had  the  perfect  unconsciousness 
which  PhilHps  Brooks  wore  Hke  a  garment,  he  would 
be  the  most  remarkable  of  modern  English  preach- 
ers. He  is  a  poet,  an  orator,  a  dreamer  of  dreams 
and  a  seer  of  visions,  one  whose  greatness  will  be 
more  appreciated  by  a  later  generation  than  by  the 
present,  because  his  infelicities  of  manner  prevent 
many  from  discerning  the  splendid  quality  of  his 
thought  and  the  marvellous  style  of  its  phrasing. 

Naturally  the  preachers  of  English  Congregation- 
alism are  compared  with  those  of  the  Establishment, 
and  not  until  they  are  side  by  side  do  we  realise 
how  great  the  former  really  are.  Considered  simply 
as  preachers  not  many  would  question  that  those 
whom  we  have  named  are  worthy  to  be  ranked  in 
the  very  highest  class  of  English  pulpit  orators. 
Few  preachers  in  the  Establishment,  in  recent  days, 
have  been  so  universally  commended  as  Dr.  Magee, 
Bishop  of  Peterborough  ;  but  when  Dr.  Magee  is 
compared  with  Thomas  Binney  the  contrast  is  surel)' 
not  altogether  in  favour  of  the  Churchman.  Canon 
Liddon  is  the  only  Anglican  of  recent  times  who 
divides  the  first  place  in  the  pulpit  with  the  Bishop 
of  Peterborough,  but  when  the  sermons  of  Liddon 
are  compared  with  the  sermons  of  Dr.  Dale  they 
are  found  to  be  no  more  intellectual,  no  more  fin- 
ished, no  more  spiritual,  and  to  lack  that  fine  humc.n 
sympathy  which  is  never  absent  from  the  great 
Birmingham  preacher,  and  which  is  seldom  found  in 


2  So  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

the  sermons  of  the  distinguished  Oxford  professor. 
As  a  platform  speaker  Liddon  had  little  if  any 
power,  while  Dale,  in  addition  to  his  other  eminent 
gifts,  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  political  orators 
of  his  time — the  only  man  whom  the  people  of  his 
city  were  willing  to  hear  after  John  Bright  had  fin- 
ished. He  is  not  only  a  great  spiritual  teacher  but 
a  vital  force  in  English  politics. 

The  name  of  Maurice  instantly  suggests  that  of 
Baldwin  Brown.  No  doubt  the  first  was  the  pro- 
founder  thinker,  but  the  second  was  the  greater 
preacher.  While  Dr.  Pusey  was  a  distinguished 
professor  according  to  the  High  Church  standard, 
his  sermons,  so  far  as  I  am  familiar  with  them,  are 
surely  inferior  to  those  of  Angell  James,  the. author 
of  "  The  Anxious  Inquirer."  Canon  Farrar  is  one 
of  the  noblest  of  modern  preachers.  His  spirit 
is  Apostolic,  his  courage  like  that  of  the  Hebrew 
prophets,  but  his  style  and  his  mannerisms  are 
often  a  drag  on  his  words.  Naturally  Farrar  .is 
compared  with  Parker,  and  few  would  question 
that  as  a  pulpit  orator  the  eccentric  genius  of 
the  City  Temple  is  far  greater  than  the  brill- 
iant Archdeacon  who  ministers  at  St.  Margaret's. 
Among  the  younger  Bishops  of  the  English  Church 
none  have  developed  more  power  in  the  pulpit  than 
the  Bishop  of  Ripon,  Dr.  Boyd  Carpenter,  a  broad- 
spirited,  earnest.  Christian  man,  of  wide  influence 
and  great  consecration.     But   few  who  have  heard 


THE  PULriT.  281 

Robert  F.  Ilorton  of  Ilampstead  would  hesitate  lo 
place  him  side  by  side  with  the  Bishop  of  Ripoii, 
and  accord  to  him  still  greater  power  in  his  ability 
so  to  present  the  gospel  as  to  influence  conscience 
and  character 

The  genial  Principal  of  Mansfield  College,  Ox- 
ford, Dr.  A.  I\I.  Fairbairn,  is  the  leader  in  theologi- 
cal education  among  English  Congregationalists. 
Who  in  the  Establishment  can  be  placed  beside  him  ? 
Professors  Sanday  and  Driver  may  be  greater  criti- 
cal scholars,  but  who  in  the  sphere  of  Systematic 
Theology  or  Comparative  Religion  deserves  to  be 
ranked  with  Principal  Fairbairn  ?  He  is  the  pre- 
eminent theologian  of  Great  Britain. 

There  still  remains  one  name  in  modern  Anglican 
and  Roman  Catholic  history  that  seems  to  rise 
higher  than  any  in  English  Protestantism,  and  es- 
pecially in  English  Nonconformity.  Is  there  any 
name  to  be  ranked  with  that  of  Cardinal  Newman  ? 
Newman's  greatest  work  as  a  preacher  was  in  the 
Anglican  church.  Candour  compels  the  acknowledg- 
ment that  no  one  can  be  placed  side  by  side  with 
him,  and  yet  Newman's  sermons  were  usually  only 
for  a  select  few.  They  were  addressed  to  teachers 
and  scholars  ;  the)-  read  more  like  treatises  on  phi- 
losophy than  messages  from  God  to  common  men. 
In  them  there  is  nothing  of  that  inspired  spirituality 
which  flames  and  burns  in  the  Conferences  of  Lacord- 
aire.     The  supremacy  of  his  genius  must  be  recog- 


282  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

nised.  There  has  been  no  man  of  equal  intellectual 
eminence  in  the  English  pulpit  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  And  yet  the  genius  of  Newman  did  not 
get  into  his  sermons ;  it  was  not  a  power  to  mould 
men.  His  utterances  were  the  meditations  of  tlie 
cloister  rather  than  the  voice  of  one  calling  to  re- 
pentance or  seeking  to  persuade  men  to  give  their 
hearts  unto  God.  He  preached  not  as  a  prophet, 
but  as  a  philosopher. 

After  a  careful  study  of  the  subject  I  am  per- 
suaded that  in  the  nineteenth  century  the  Congre- 
gational pulpit  of  England  has  had  the  ablest,  the 
most  spiritual,  and  the  most  influential  preachers  of 
the  British  Kingdom.  The  only  Nonconformist 
church  which  could  compare  with  it  is  the  one  which 
has  given  to  the  world  in  recent  years  those  princes 
of  pulpit  oratory,  those  almost  matchless  masters  of 
the  art  of  appeal  and  persuasion — Spurgeon  and 
Maclaren. 

After  this  outline  study  of  the  English  pulpit, 
the  question  arises  whether  it  has  suggested  any 
lessons  of  special  value  for  those  who  are  engaged  hi 
the  same  ministry  in  other  lands.  That  pulpit  has 
given  new  and  peculiar  emphasis  to  certain  facts 
which  are  worthy  of  careful  and  constant  recognition. 

I.  The  ministry  has  a  measure  of  responsibility 
for  the  moral  life  of  the  State.  This  has  usually 
been  recognised,  but  it  is  illustrated  in  the  examples 


THE  FULPIT.  283 

of  the  men  ot  wluMii  we  have  been  stud\inL;   as  per- 
haps  nowhere  else  in  Christian  history.     As  the  re- 
sult of  a  vicious  legacy  the  Christian  Church  about 
four  centuries  ago  was  in   alliance   with   a    corrupt 
and  corrupting  State.     On  the  one  hand  were  vast 
endowments    and    limitless    power  ;  on     the    other, 
were  conscience  and  the  teaching  of  Holy  Scripture. 
The  work  which  the   early  Nonconformists  fronted 
was  of  great   magnitude,  and  almost   hopeless.     In 
our  land  and  time  that   condition  of  things  cannot 
be    appreciated.     Then,  religious  liberty    was  only 
a  name.     Even  after  the    Act  of    Toleration  those 
who    presumed  to    think    for    themselves  suffered 
social    ostracism,  were  harassed  by    the  officers   of 
State  on   the  absurdest  of  pretexts,  and   the  lofty 
morality  which  led  them  to  go  out  of  the  Establish- 
ment   for   conscience'  sake,    was    regarded    by    the 
authorities  both  of  Church  and  State  as  even  more 
obnoxious  than  open  vice.     A  revolution  in  ecclesias- 
tical affairs  has  been  realised  in  Great  Britain,  and  it 
is  not  too  much  to  say  that  it   is  almost  altogether 
due  to  the  preaching  of  Nonconformists. 

Not  all  has  been  the  result  of  agitation  on  the 
part  of  the  Congregationalists,  for  others,  especially 
the  Baptists,  have  been  faithful  in  witnessing 
against  a  State  Church.  And  Dr.  Dale,  in  his  ser- 
mon on  "  Christ  and  the  State  "  before  the  Baptist 
Home  Missionary  Society,  said  "  John  Wesley  and 
George  Whitefield  did    more  for  the   social   redemp- 


284  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

tion  of  England  than  all  the  politicians  of  this  cen- 
tury and  the  last,  whose  names  are  associated  with 
great  reforms."*  Their  work,  however,  was  largely- 
indirect,  since  as  a  rule  they  have  confined  them- 
selves more  exclusively  to  church  work,  and  given 
less  attention  to  the  political  problem. 

The  Independents,  on  the  other  hand,  have  been 
directly  and  relentlessly  attacking  the  citadel  of  the 
evil,  and  from  the  time  of  Watts  to  the  time  of 
Binney,  from  Doddridge  to  Dale,  from  Edward 
Miall — who  was  the  greatest  modern  prophet  of  Dis- 
establishment— to  his  worthy  successor,  Carvell 
Williams,  from  Dr.  Raffles  to  Guinness  Rogers, 
there  have  always  been  those  who,  braving  political, 
social  and  ecclesiastical  censure,  have  in  the  noblest 
way  appealed  to  the  people  in  behalf  of  national 
righteousness.  Dr.  Dale  has  well  said  :  "  If  the 
social  order  is  to  be  just,  men  must  be  just  ,  if  the 
social  order  is  to  be  kind,  men  must  be  kind. 
We  can  hope  for  great  and  enduring  changes  for 
the  better  in  the  social  order  only  as  the  result  of 
great  and  enduring  changes  for  the  better  in  the 
spirit  and  character  of  the  whole  people.  The  eth- 
ical quality  of  the  organisation  of  a  State,  politi- 
cally, economically,  socially,  must  I  suppose  be 
always  more  or  less  inferior  to  the  general  ethical 
life  of  the  nation.  Reforms  which  are  far  in  ad- 
vance  of   that   life  may  be   carried  as  the  result   of 

*  "  Fellowship  with  Christ,"  p.  211, 


THE  PULP  IT.  285 

transient  enthusiasiii,  but  they  will  not  be  effective 
and  they  will  not  endure,"  "' 

The  example  of  English  ministers  in  the  contest  for 
Disestablishment  illustrates  the  possibilities  of  in- 
fluence which  are  open  to  prophets  of  righteousness 
in  all  lands.  The  preacher  occupies  a  unique  posi- 
tion. His  words  will  be  heeded  when  speakers  more 
likely  to  be  prejudiced  will  attract  little  attention. 
Great  evils  threaten  American  life.  Liberty  is  degen- 
erating into  license  ;  democracy  is  becoming  lawless. 
On  our  side  of  the  water  it  is  high  time  that  the 
same  fearless,  prophetic  spirit  which  has  worked 
such  a  revolution  on  the  other  side  was  beginning  to 
manifest  itself  in  no  uncertain  wa}'.  The  history  of 
English  Congregationalism  proves  that  the  minis- 
ters of  the  Church,  without  losing  their  spiritual  in- 
fluence, may  also  minister  to  the  welfare  of  the 
State.  No  more  saintly  and  successful  pastors  and 
preachers  have  lived  in  the  present  century  than 
Drs.  Allon  and  Dale,  and  for  years  they  were 
trusted  advisers  of  the  great  chiefs  of  the  Liberal 
party.  They  were  trusted  because  they  were  hon- 
est and  wise,  and  dared  to  apply  the  principles  of 
Christ  to  the  life  of  the  State.  Christianity  is 
working  not  only  for  the  salvation  of  indi\iduals  ;  it 
aims  also  at  bringing  in  better  social  and  political 
institutions.  The  redemption  of  societj-  has  vital 
relations    to    the     salvation    of    men.      American 

*"  Fellowship  with  Christ,"  pp.  210-11. 


286  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

preachers  are  yearly  becoming  more  and  more  truly 
prophets  of  righteousness  ;  they  are  realising  that 
the  ministry  has  relations  to  all  the  life  of  man,  and 
they  can  have  no  better  teachers  or  exemplars  than 
the  dauntless  and  unwearying  Independents,  who 
have  fought  the  battles  of  religious  liberty  in  Eng- 
land. 

2.  The  pulpit  in  England  has  been  one  of 
the  most  positive  forces  in  the  amelioration  of 
wrong  social  conditions,  and  its  influence  may  be 
equally  potent  in  the  United  States.  Circumstances 
compel  English  preachers  to  devote  more  attention 
to  the  life  that  now  is  than  to  that  which  is  to  come. 
The  tide  of  pauperism  and  crime  is  constantly 
rising ;  the  overcrowding  of  the  great  cities  has 
reached  an  enormity  as  }'et  unknown  in  the  United 
States.  The  ministers  are  compelled  to  do  the  very 
same  work  that  the  Master  did — heal  the  sick, 
clothe  the  naked,  cast  out  devils,  and  preach  the 
Gospel  to  the  poor.  Before  they  have  time  to  ask 
men  concerning  the  salvation  of  their  souls  they 
are  forced  to  seek  to  improve  their  physical  en- 
vironment. As  a  consequence,  charity  and  social 
reforms  have  a  prominence  in  religious  work  not 
yet  known  here.  Nonconformist  ministers  are 
at  the  head  of  many  of  the  great  movements  for 
the  social  regeneration  of  England,  and  in  some  of 
the  most  difificult  and  perilous  crises  they  have  been 
the   mediators   between   conflicting   classes.     What- 


THE  PULPIT.  287 

ever  may  be  true  of  the  dignitaries  of  the  Estab- 
lishment, there  is  no  doubt  that  the  average  Non- 
conformist is  in  heartiest  s\'mpathy  with  those  who 
are  seeking  to  improve  the  life  of  men  on  the  earth 
— and  what  is  more,  they  are  making  that  a  depart- 
ment of  church  work.  They  have  gotten  hold  of 
the  fact  that  human  beings  cannot  be  studied  sim- 
ply as  individuals.  Each  man  is  the  product  of  long 
lines  of  ancestors  ;  and  his  growth  is  moulded  by 
his  environment. 

Appreciation  of  these  truths  may  explain  why  in 
England  in  recent  years  there  have  been  few  great 
evangelists.  Americans,  like  Moody  and  Sankey, 
have  led  in  revivals  which  have  had  a  temporary 
influence,  but  the  English  ministers  as  a  rule  are 
compelled  to  think  of  men  more  in  the  aggregate,  not 
alone  as  single  souls.  If  men  are  to  be  s[)iritual 
there  must  be  conditions  in  which  spiritual  life  may 
grow.  Therefore  English  pastors  go  on  the  School 
Boards  and  Boards  of  Guardians  of  the  Poor  ;  they 
lead  in  the  erection  of  improved  tenement  houses  ; 
and  seek  to  make  it  possible  for  the  children  in  the 
public  schools  to  have  sufficient  food  without  there- 
by increasing  pauperism.  The  English  Congrega- 
tional minister  of  the  present  time  is  quite  as  much  a 
student  of  sociology  as  of  theology  ;  and  well  he  may 
be,  for  the  task  before  him  is  of  appalling  magnitude. 

More  swiftly  than  most  Americans  dream,  the 
same  social    conditions  are  growing   on    this   side 


288  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

of  the  water.  The  problem  of  the  great  cities  is 
no  longer  peculiarly  English  or  Continental.  The 
absurdity  of  an  attempt  to  promote  a  revival  in  such 
districts  as  Bleecker  and  Mulberry  Streets,  New 
York,  is  evident  to  all  who  have  ever  studied  those 
localities.  People  sometimes  get  so  low,  so  in 
the  grasp  of  a  vicious  environment,  that  the  Gospel 
must  literally  wash  and  feed  them  before  it  can 
cast  out  the  more  than  a  thousand  devils  which 
possess  them.  It  has  to  prepare  a  soil  in  which  its 
message  can  find  lodgment.  Patient  effort  to  change 
the  environment  in  which  people  live  in  order  that 
there  may  be  reasonable  hope  of  the  growth  of  the 
new  life  is  as  truly  evangelistic  as  direct  efforts 
to  win  men  to  personal  loyalty  to  Jesus  of  Nazareth  ; 
and  the  practical  appreciation  of  this  fact  is  one 
potent  cause  of  the  success  of  the  Salvation  Army. 
The  missionary  societies  of  all  denominations  are 
making  an  immense  mistake  in  not  giving  more 
attention  to  cities.  No  State  and  no  Territory  has 
so  few  churches  or  so  few  Christian  influences  in 
proportion  to  the  population  as  there  are  in  New 
York,  Chicago  and  Boston.  No  course  of  study  can 
be  better  fitted  to  make  efficient  ministers  of  the 
kind  that  are  needed  in  our  great  cities,  where  men 
must.be  content  to  bury  themselves  and  die  unappre- 
ciated, than  a  study  of  the  methods  of  the  faithful 
but  unknown  pastors  of  the  churches  among  the 
poor  in  Manchester,  Birmingham  and  London. 


THE  rULFIT.  289 

One  message  from  the  English  pulpit  to  the 
American,  then,  is  that  the  present  life  has  its  claims, 
that  they  are  quite  as  imperative  as  those  of  the 
future  life,  and  that  the  task  of  saving  men  for  eter- 
nit)-  is  absolutely  hopeless  if  they  are  neglected  fn 
time. 

3.  There  are  no  models  of  pulpit  oratory  in  the 
Congregational  churches  of  England  which  are  dis- 
tinguished above  the  great  preachers  of  other 
branches  of  the  Christian  Church.  He  who  seeks 
for  the  greatest  preachers  will  find  them  here  and 
there  in  all  denominations,  and  in  all  lands.  Eng- 
land has  produced  no  greater  pulpit  orators  than 
America.  Her  lessons  to  us  are  rather  in  the 
direction  in  which  effort  should  move  than  in  the 
manner  in  which  truth  should  be  presented.  Great 
pulpit  orators  she  has  had,  and  so  have  the  churches 
of  the  Continent ;  but  great  orators  are  not  unknown 
in  the  American  churches. 

4.  A  study  of  the  English  pulpit  makes  it  clear 
that  the  cr}'  that  the  pulpit  is  losing  its  power  is 
without  basis  in  fact.  There  were  never  so  many 
educated,  attractive,  eloquent  and  consecrated  men 
preaching  the  Gospel  as  in  these  latter  years  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  Commerce  is  making  her 
demands,  and  science,  with  the  other  learned  pro- 
fessions, is  drawing  large  numbers  of  the  choicest 
youth  ;  but  the  clearer  presentations  of  the  truth  of 
God  as  the  only  cure  for  the  ills  of  human  life,  the 


290  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

only  satisfaction  for  human  cravings,  the  only  way 
in  which  manhood  may  be  completed,  is  raising  up 
an  unsurpassed  company  of  workers  and  preachers. 
And  surely  those  who  arc  well  informed  concerning 
what  the  English  churches  are  doing,  and  the  influ- 
ence of  the  English  ministers  in  political,  social  and 
educational  circles,  as  well  as  in  the  pulpit  itself, 
know  that  no  class  in  modern  society  is  exerting  a 
more  vital  and  beneficent  influence. 

No  session  of  the  Social  Science  Congress  in  1884 
was  so  well  attended  by  members  of  that  Association 
as  the  regular  Sunday  service  in  Carr's  Lane  Chapel, 
where  Dr.  Dale  preached  on  "  Social  Science  and  the 
Christian  Faith."  *  The  subject  of  the  sermon  was 
not  announced,  but  barristers,  editors,  business  men, 
believers  and  unbelievers,  when  Sunday  came,  all 
by  a  common  attraction  were  drawn  toward  that 
Nonconformist  chapel,  because  they  knew  that  from 
that  pulpit  a  message  would  be  issued  worthy  of 
their  best  thought,  and  which  would  be  an  inspira- 
tion to  their  highest  life;  nor  were  they  disappointed, 
for  no  utterance  of  that  Congress  was  more  worthy 
of  remembrance  than  the  sermon  to  which  they 
listened.  What  was  true  there  is  always  true 
when  those  preach  who  possess  spirituality,  abil- 
ity and  common-sense,  and  who  recognise  that  men 
have  a  right  to  demand  that  religion  shall  be  proved 
credible  before  its  acceptance    is  asked.     The  day 

*  The  sermon  is  published  in  "  Fellowship  with  Christ,"  p.  147. 


THE  rui.pfT.  291 

for  pious  commonplaces,  elaborate  and  rotund  rhet- 
oric, and    sanctimonious  "other    worldliness "    has 
gone  by  ;    but  living  men  with  a  message  which  liv- 
ing men  need  will  alwaj's  find  hearers,  and  never  diil 
such  preachers  receive  more   enthusiastic  attention 
than  in  the  very  time  when  the  press  is  supposed  to 
have   destroyed   the  power  of  the  pulpit.     If  that 
power  is  ever  lost   it  will  be  because    the  pulpit  sets 
forth  unworthy    ideals    of    the  Gospel,  and  of   the 
nature    of    God  and   man.     Those   who  have  been 
trained    to    think    for   themselves  will   not    endure 
platitudes,  or   the   silly  insinuation  that   they  are  to 
put  chains  on  their  reason  and  common-sense  before 
they  enter   the   sphere    of    religion.     On  the  other 
hand,  the  eternal  problems  are  pressing  for  solution 
with  an  intensity  never  before   known.     As  science 
has  enlarged  the  universe,  as  humanity  has  risen  in 
dignity,  the  old  questions  come  back  and  clamour 
with  tenfold   eagerness    for  an    answer.       Is    there 
personality  back   of    phenomena  ?     Is  there  any  in- 
fallible   right  ?     Is  there   any  way  in   which  he  who 
has  been  wrong  can  get  right  ?     If  a  man  die  shall  he 
live  again  ?     Any  teacher  in  the  pulpit,  or  elsewhere, 
who  has  answers  for  these  questions  will  be  sure  of  an 
audience.     The    great    English  preachers  have  not 
devoted  themselves  to  commonplaces,  to  the  tactics 
of  dancing-masters,  to  the  arts  of  milliners  and  dress- 
makers, but  they  have  boldly  faced   and  confidently 
answered  the  questions  which  the  people,  with  death- 


292  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

less  eagerness,  have  in  all  ages  kept  at  the  front. 
While  preachers  like  Dale  and  Rogers,  Mackennal 
and  John  Brown,  Herber  Evans,  Goodrich  and 
Pearson,  Berry,  Barrett  and  Horton,  and  teachers 
like  Fairbairn,  Simon,  Cave,  Reynolds,  Scott  and 
Duff  continue  their  ministry,  the  power  of  the  pul- 
pit will  increase,  and  its  influence  be  a  continual 
benediction,  both  in  the  individual  and  the  corporate 
life. 

And  now  I  close  this  lecture  on  the  English  pulpit 
by  quoting  as  an  example  of  the  very  best  pulpit 
eloquence  a  somewhat  extended  passage  from  the 
address  of  the  President  of  the  International  Coun- 
cil of  1891,  which  combines  as  much  of  fundamental 
truth  with  reasonable  and  beautiful  expression  as 
can  be  found  in  the  utterances  of  any  of  the  great 
preachers  among  all  denominations  who  have  filled 
either  English  or  American  pulpits.  While  such  a 
Gospel  is  preached  in  such  a  spirit,  and  with  such 
sweetness  and  light,  the  work  of  the  Kingdom  will 
surely  advance,  and  the  "masses  "  and  "classes  "  be 
attracted  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  The  passage 
is  as  follows : 

"  To  Judaising  teachers,  who  insisted  that  heathen 
men  could  not  share  the  blessedness  of  the  Divine  redemp- 
tion and  the  Divine  Kingdom  unless  in  some  sort  they 
became  Jews,  I  can  imagine  Paul  saying,  '  Ah,  you  are 
strangers  to  the  real  glory  of  Christ.     When  I  stand  up 


THE  PULPfT.  293 

to  preach  in   these   great  heathen   cities-in  Ephesus,  in 
Corinth,  in    Rome,  I    see    above  me   the    same  shining 
heavens'  that   bend  over  Jerusalem— in  Christ  they  were 
created,  in  Christ  they  endure  ;  I  see  the  same  sun  whose 
Hght  falls  on  the  temple  in  which  our  fathers  worshipped 
—its  fires  were  kindled  by  Christ,  and  apart   from  Christ 
those  fires  would    die   down    and  be    extinguished.     At 
niaht  there  shine  the  same  stars  that  shine  over  the  hills 
of'^Judea-it  is  in   the  power  of  Christ  that  through  age 
after  a^e  their   solemn  movement   is  unbroken  and  their 
splendour  undimmed.     When    I    travel    through  heathen 
lands  1  see  around  me  everywhere    the  manifestations  of 
Christ's   presence  and   power,  and  goodness ;    in  moun- 
tains, and  forests,  and  shining  streams  ;  in  the  vine  and 
the  fig-tree,  and   the  ripening  corn,  in  every   flower  that 
blossoms  from   the  earth,  in  every  bird  that  sings   in  the 
air.     The  winds  are  His,  and  the  rain  and  the  dew.     In 
Christ  were  all    things    created  ;  in   Him  they  are  held 
together  ;  and  separated  from  Him  they  would  fall  out  of 
their  order,  and  the  whole  universe  would  become  a  chaos. 
" '  But    if   the  heavens  which  are   stretched  over  these 
heathen    men,   and   the   earth   beneath    iheir   feet,   were 
created   in  Christ  ;  and  the  wheat  from  which  they  make 
their  bread,  and  the  water  which  they  drink,  and  whatever 
else  sustains  their  life  and  adds  to  its  comfort  and  delight ; 
in  whom  were   the  heathen  men  themselves  created  ?     H 
it    is  only  in  Christ  that  these  visible  and  material  things 
endure,  in  whom  is  it   that  the  men-men  of  every  race 
and  ever^'  tongue-endure  ?     Have  they   an  independent 
life  ?     Does  their  existence  rest  on  another  foundation  ? 
Are  they  defended  and  sustained  in  being  by  some  infe- 


294  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

rior  Power?  No;  the  men,  like  their  countr\-,  were 
created  in  Christ.  In  Christ  is  the  common  root  of  the 
life  of  the  race. '  "  * 

*"  Fellowship  with  Christ,"  pp.  351-353. 


VIII. 
THE  OUTLOOK. 


"  It  is  certain  that  the  Congregational  scheme  leads  to  toleration, 
as  the  national  church  scheme  is  adverse  to  it,  for  manifold  reasons." 

— Hallam. 

"  We  are  now  ere  long  to  part  asunder,  and  the  Lord  knoweth 
whether  ever  he  should  live  to  see  our  faces  again  :  but  whether  the 
Lord  had  appointed  it  or  not,  he  charged  us  before  God  and  His 
blessed  Angels,  to  follow  him  no  further  than  he  followed  Christ. 
And  if  God  should  reveal  anything  to  us  by  any  other  instrument  of 
His,  to  be  as  ready  to  receive  it,  as  ever  we  were  to  receive  any  truth 
by  his  Ministery :  For  he  was  very  confident  the  Lord  had  more 
truth  and  light  yet  to  break  forth  out  of  His  holy  Word." 

— Edward  Winslow,  in  "  Hyfocrisie  Vtimasked.'''' 

"  It  is  getting  to  be  a  fashionable  notion  that  toleration  is  the  off- 
spring of  scepticism.  If  so,  then  Lord  Herbert  and  Hobbes  of 
Malmesbury  ought  to  have  been  its  apostles — but  they  were  not ;  and 
the  Baptists,  the  Independents,  and  the  people  called  Quakers  ought 
not  to  have  been  its  early  apostles — but  they  were." 

— Dr.  J.  Stoughton. 

"  The  ideal  perfection  of  the  Church  of  Christ  has  been  recognised 
by  other  communions  as  clearly  as  by  our  own  ;  it  was  the  signal 
merit  of  the  Separatists  of  the  sixteenth  century  that  they  affirmed  the 
same  law,  the  same  life,  the  same  inspiration  for  the  invisible  Church 
and  the  visible  churches." — Dr.  Alex.  Mackennal. 

"  Among  nations  the  head  has  at  all  times  preceded  the  heart  by 
centuries,  as  in  the  slave-trade  ;  yes,  by  thousands  of  years,  as  will 
perhaps  be  the  case  in  war." — Jean  Paul  Friedrich  Richter. 


VIII. 
THE  OUTLOOK. 

The  people  of  each  generation  tliink  for  them- 
selves, and  adjust  themselves  to  the  conditions  in 
which  they  live.  Times,  as  well  as  individuals, 
have  their  distinguishing  characteristics,  and  these 
are  manifested  both  in  thought  and  life;  conse- 
quently, changes  in  the  expression  of  theological 
doctrine  and  in  ecclesiastical  organisation  are  inevi- 
table. The  truths  which  regulate  thinking  in  one 
time  differ  from  those  which  have  influence  in 
another,  and  yet  there  is  a  real  unity  in  the  life  of 
the  race,  so  that  a  change  of  conditions  in  one 
sphere  causes  changes  in  all  other  spheres  of  thought 
and  action. 

The  evangelical  doctrines  have  been  formulated 
in  different  periods,  and  all  bear  evidence  of  the 
environment  in  which  they  assumed  their  present 
form.  The  doctrine  of  "  The  Trinity  "  crystallised 
the  best  theological  thought  of  the  time  of  the 
Council  of  Nicaea;  "  Justification,  by  Faith,"  that  of 
the  era  of  the  Protestant   Reformation  ;     "  Inspira- 


298  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

tion  "  and  "  Last  Things"  are  now  in  the  crucible, 
and  he  understands  little  of  what  is  going  on  around 
him  who  presumes  to  prophesy  concerning  their 
final  expression.  In  political  history  the  same  cor- 
respondence between  doctrine  and  life  may  be  ob- 
served. In  the  time  of  Henry  the  Eighth  the  ques- 
tion of  the  supremacy  of  the  crown  against  foreign 
interference  was  settled  ;  during  the  Puritan  Revo- 
tion  the  preeminent  issue  was  whether  the  individual 
had  a  right  to  do  his  own  thinking — whether  free- 
dom of  conscience  was  possible.  Cromwell  went 
down,  and  the  battle  in  favour  of  liberty  seemed  to 
have  been  lost  ;  but  the  victory  was  complete,  for, 
while  the  great  Protector  disappeared,  the  principles 
for  which  he  contended  were  firmly  established. 
The  Puritan  Revolution  ended  in  the  restoration  of 
the  monarchy  ;  but  the  Puritan  assertion  of  the  right 
of  each  individual  to  think  for  himself,  and  to  wor- 
ship God  according  to  his  own  conscience,  is  now 
recognised  as  axiomatic. 

In  the  history  of  the  Pilgrims  and  their  descen- 
dants special  truths  have  come  into  prominence  when 
the  times  were  ready  for  them.  In  the  seventeenth 
and  eighteenth  centuries  ministers  and  churches 
were  rigidly  Calvinistic  in  theology,  and  held  firmly 
to  the  doctrines  of  the  Westminster  Confession. 
In  that  era  the  doctrine  of  Divine  Sovereignty  was 
needed  as  a  basis  for  the  ecclesiastical  and  political 
transformations  which  were  to  follow.     The  Sepa- 


TJIE  OUTLOOK.  299 

ratists  were  Independents  in  the  strictest  sense,  and 
had  no  more  confidence  in  the  Presbyterian  system 
than  in  the  Episcopal,  but  the}'  were  both  Separa- 
tists and  Independents  because  of  their  intense 
realisation  of  the  Sovereignty  of  God.  The  rise  of 
the  social  problem,  far  more  than  exhaustive  stud}', 
has  estranged  the  English  Congregationalists  of  to- 
day from  the  severer  type  of  Calvinism,  and  there 
are  now  few  among  their  thinkers  who  do  not  re- 
pudiate the  system.  While  the  older  forms  of 
Genevan  doctrine  have  become  obsolete,  and  while 
the  preachers  and  teachers  most  before  the  public 
have  departed  far  from  those  interpretations  of  truth 
probably  the  majority  of  the  churches,  especially 
in  the  small  towns  and  country  districts,  are  still 
moderately  Calvinistic.  But  the  emphasis,  as  we 
have  already  pointed  out,  has  passed  from  theology 
to  sociolog}',  and  the  inquiry  now  is  not  so  much, 
What  do  }0U  think  of  God?  as.  What  will  you  do 
for  man  ?  In  the  stress  of  the  conflict  with  Episco- 
pacy, and  with  Presbyterian  Scotland,  alert  and 
eager  to  introduce  her  ecclesiastical  order  into 
England,  the  churches  were  jealous  of  their  indc- 
pendenc}' ;  but  now  that  they  are  strong  and  need 
fear  no  encroachments  on  their  liberty  they  are  be- 
ginning more  keenly  to  appreciate  the  privileges  of 
fellowship.  Thus  there  are  constant  changes  in  Eng- 
lish thought  and  life,  and  the  dominant  influences  of 
this  decade  may  be  almost  unknown  in  the  next. 


300  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

One  of  the  most  significant  intellectual  move- 
ments in  England  is  the  beginning  of  a  revival  of 
interest  in  the  science  of  theology,  at  a  time  when 
social  questions  are  absorbing  the  attention  of  all 
classes  in  the  churches  and  out  of  them.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  explain  how,  when  the  religious 
thought  of  England  seemed  almost  entirely  devoted 
to  the  consideration  of  humanitarian  subjects,  there 
could  rise,  as  there  is  rising  to-day,  so  intense  an 
interest  in  criticism  and  theolog}\  It  is  probably 
due  to  the  influence  of  a  few  men.  At  the  Univer- 
sity of  Oxford  are  three  or  four  really  great  critical 
scholars.  In  Scotland  there  is  a  breaking  away 
from  the  Calvlnistic  interpretations  of  truth,  and 
the  rise  of  a  school  of  Biblical  critics  and  construc- 
tive theologians  of  progressive  spirit.  Of  course, 
long  before  the  present  leaders  of  the  critical  move- 
ment in  Great  Britain  became  known,  others,  not 
widely  known,  wrought  in  the  same  field,  and  Ger- 
man criticism  was  studied  by  a  few  ;  but  it  is  the 
influences  now  dominant  in  the  universities,  which 
are  reaching  and  transforming  the  thinking  of  all 
denominations.  It  has  been  said :  "  These  men 
only  touch  the  fringe  of  the  churches,  and  a  small 
portion  of  the  ministry, — the  youngest  men."  •■ 
That  can  hardly  be  correct,  for  others  than  the 
younger  men  are  responding  to  the  Zeitgeist ;  and 
yet  the  statement  is  largely  true,  and  is  an    illustra- 

*  Rev.  Biyaii  Dale. 


THE  OUTLOOK.  30T 

lion  of  the  fact  already  stated,  that  in  England  the 
cluirchcs  are  chiefly  occupied  with  sociological 
(luestions,  and  are  just  beginning  to  show  signs  of 
a  revival  of  interest  in  criticism  and  theology.  The 
elevation  of  INIarcus  Dods  to  a  theological  chair  in 
Scotland,  the  writings  of  Canons  Driver  and  Cheyne 
at  Oxford,  the  establishment  of  Mansfield  College, 
the  pre-eminence  of  Principal  Fairbairn  as  a  theo- 
logian, and  perhaps  also  quite  largely,  the  critical 
controversies  in  America,  as  reported  in  English 
papers,  have  stimulated  interest  in  themes  which 
only  a  decade  ago  were,  to  say  the  least,  far  less 
prominent  than  now.  This  revival  of  the  study  of 
theology  is  not  yet  widespread,  and  the  devotion  to 
social  subjects  is  by  no  means  diminished,  but  the 
one  movement  is  coincident  with  the  other.  No 
questions  have  such  attraction  for  thinking  people 
as  those  which  concern  the  supernatural,  the  spirit- 
ual life,  and  the  problem  of  duty.  If  in  England 
some  of  these  have  been  relatively  out  of  sight,  it 
has  been  because  other  problems,  for  the  time  more 
imperiously  demanding  solution,  have,  by  sheer 
force,  pushed  themselves  to  the  front. 

Xliese  two  movements  are  now  hand  in  hand  :  the 
one  humanitarian,  all-absorbing,  almost  universal ; 
the  other  theological,  attracting  the  attention  of  but 
few,  and  yet  soon  to  occupy  a  large  place  in  English 
thought. 

Theological  agitation  in  England  is  quite  different 


302  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

from  what  it  is  in  the  United  States.  Such  a  con- 
trovers}'  as  that  over  Professor  Briggs  would  be  im- 
possible in  any  English  denomination.  The  way  the 
charges  against  Prof.  W.  T.  Davison  were  received 
by  his  Wesleyan  brethren,  and  those  against  Prof. 
Archibald  Duff  by  Congregationalists,  show  that 
among  the  Wesleyans,  who  are  theologically  conser- 
vative, and  Congregationalists,  who  are  less  so,  there 
is  large  liberty.  Congregationalists,  Baptists,  Pres- 
byterians and  Episcopalians,  all  have  their  eminent 
and  honoured  leaders  who  substantially  agree  with 
the  New  York  professor.  Mr.  Spurgeon,  some 
years  before  he  died,  raised  his  voice  against  the 
"down-grade"  in  theology.  He  had  reference  to 
many  who  were  prominent  in  Baptist  and  Congrega- 
tional churches,  who  were  in  s)'mpathy  with  the 
higher  critics,  and,  perhaps  still  more,  who  were 
humanising  theology.  He  even  withdrew  from  the 
Baptist  Union,  and  no  efforts  at  conciliation  could 
induce  him  to  return.  But  the  great  influence  of 
Mr.  Spurgeon  utterly  failed  when  he  attempted  to 
stem  what  he  honestly  believed  to  be  the  downward 
tendency  in  modern  theological  thought.  When  he 
uttered  his  cry  of  "  down-grade,"  the  majority  of  his 
more  intelligent  supporters,  who  honoured  his  fidel- 
ity, rejoiced  in  his  eloquence,  and  were  ready  to  co- 
operate with  him  in  evangelistic  efforts,  simply 
smiled  at  his  foolish  attempt  to  invade  a  sphere 
which  he  was  so  poorly  prepared  to  enter  ;  and  when 


THE  OUTLOOK.  303 

he  forgot  himself  and  used  stronger  language  tlian 
^vas  kind,  his  course  excited  only  pity.  There  is  an 
unquestionable,  if  not  yet  a  widespread  revival  of 
interest  in  theological  themes,  and  there  is  no 
attempt  of  any  magnitude  to  put  shackles  upon 
thinking.  Freedom  of  thought  in  the  Puritan 
churches  has  been  bought  at  too  dear  a  price  to  be 
easily  relinquished.  It  would  not  be  surprising  if 
within  a  few  years  a  new  school  of  theology  should 
arise  in  England,  the  centre  of  whose  doctrine 
would  be  the  Living  Christ,  a  school  whose  thinking 
would  begin  with  the  need  of  man,  rather  than  with 
speculations  concerning  God.* 

The  social  environment  in  England  will  not 
materially  change  for  a  generation  to  come,  and  the 
pressure  of  poverty  and  miser}'  is  dail)'  increasing. 
The  great  cities  are  growing  larger,  the  struggle  for 
existence  intenser,  the  overcrowding  more  terrible, 
and  its  resultant  evils  more  appalling.  The  author 
of  "  The  Bitter  Cry  of  Outcast  London,"  declares 
that  notwithstanding  all  the  efforts  of  the  churches 
and  the  State,  the  tide  of  vice,  crime  and  social  des- 
olation is  still  rising.  In  the  midst  of  such  con- 
ditions one  subject  must  well-nigh  monopolise 
thought.     On  the    other   hand,  the  world-old   and 

♦Since  tlie  above  was  written  Principal  Fairbairn's  great  work  on 
"  Christ  in  Modern  Theology  "  has  been  published,  and  also  that  very 
suggestive  series  of  essays  entitled  "  Faith  and  Criticism,"  and  both 
confirm  our  opinion  that  a  new  and  vigorous  school  of  Theologians 
is  arising  in  England. 


304  TJIE  riLGKLM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

world-wide  questions  concerning  God,  duty,  forgive- 
ness and  immortality  are  as  imperative  and  persistent 
as  ever,  and,  in  the  midst  of  the  indescribable  con- 
fusion of  life,  the  answers  to  those  questions  must 
be  different  from  what  they  would  be  if  the  thinkers 
could  shut  themselves  in  seclusion  and  evolve  spec- 
ulations from  their  inner  consciousness.  The  Ger- 
mans, in  their  philosophical  and  theological  s}'s- 
tems,  have  given  the  world  results  of  pure  thought 
and  patient  investigation.  They  have  written,  as 
only  those  can  write  who  are  removed  from  the 
storm  and  stress  of  the  struggle  for  existence  ;  but  the 
English  have  not  been  able  to  separate  themselves 
from  their  environment,  and  the  Germans  will  not 
be  able  to  do  so  much  longer.  Whatever  the  devel- 
opments of  theology,  as  distinguished  from  critical 
investigations,  may  be  in  England,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  but  that  for  years  to  come  it  will  be  written 
not  in  scholastic  forms,  but  rather  in  terms  of  life. 
Criticism  must  be  pursued  in  quiet,  and  expressed  in 
scholastic  language,  but  theology  and  preaching 
will  be  practical.  The  doctrines  of  God,  human 
responsibility,  immortal  destiny,  and  even  of  Holy 
Scripture,  will  all  be  interpreted  in  the  light  of  the 
miseries  and  sufferings  of  the  people. 

Thus  far  England  has  given  the  world  few  great 
speculative  theologians,  and  even  few  eminent  crit- 
ics. In  the  department  of  criticism  she  has  now 
some  names  of  the  highest  rank,  but,  with  the  ex- 


THE  outlook:  305 

ccption  of  Principal  Fairbairn,  it  may  be  questioned 
if  there  is  a  single  conspicuous  English  theologian. 
If  we  move  backward,  not  only  in  the  lines  of  the 
Congregational  churches,  but  of  all  the  churches, 
we  look  in  vain  for  such  names  in  theology  as  have 
been  common  in  Germany  and  in  America.  Fred- 
erick Dennison  Alaurice  has  exerted  a  greater 
influence  than  anj'  other  modern  teacher  in  the 
Established  Church,  but  his  work  was  suggestive, 
rather  than  constructive.  Who  is  the  English 
theologian  to  be  compared  with  Schleiermacher, 
Dorner  and  Weiss  ;  with  Jonathan  Edwards,  Henry 
B.  Smith  and  Trofcssor  Park?  Surely  Mozely, 
Wace  or  Ince  would  not  be  classed  with  them  as 
original  thinkers.  There  have  been  a  few  men 
among  Congregationalists,  like  Pye  Smith  and 
Ralph  Wardlaw,  who  have  been  more  or  less  promi- 
nent;  but  theological  instruction  of  the  quality 
that  has  long  prevailed  in  the  schools  of  Germany 
and  America,  has  until  recently  been  almost  un- 
known in  England.  Under  the  influence  of  the 
Germans  on  the  one  side,  and  of  Americans  on 
the  other,  a  new  race  of  theologians  will  prob- 
ably arise,  and  their  starting-point  will  be  neither 
the  Sovereignty  of  God,  nor  the  Person  of  Christ, 
but  the  needs  of  humanity ;  and  if  their  work 
is  well  done,  as  no  doubt  it  will  be,  they  will 
make  valuable  and  original  contributions  to  the 
science    of    theology, — such     contributions    as    the 


306  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

life  of  no  other  nation  than  England  makes  pos- 
sible. 

There  is  a  growing  feeling  that  the  gate  into  the 
ministry  is  too  broad,  and  that,  in  some  way, 
churches  should  be  saved  from  narrowness,  igno- 
rance and  weakness  in  the  pulpits.  The  Indepen- 
dent theory  is  that  a  church  may  call  to  be  its 
pastor  whomsoever  it  chooses.  If  a  local  church 
wishes  any  man  for  its  minister,  whether  he  is 
trained  in  theology  or  not,  it  calls  him.  If  he  is  to 
be  ordained  or  installed,  the  church  ordains  him, 
asking  such  help  as  it  may  choose,  not  for  the  sake 
of  advice  concerning  the  call  which  has  been  issued, 
but  simply  to  make  the  recognition  services  more 
attractive.  As  a  result,  many  men  in  the  English 
pulpits  are  without  training,  either  in  the  Bible  or 
in  theology.  Some  of  the  most  eminent  preachers, 
like  Joseph  Parker  and  W.  Hardy  Harwood,  have 
passed  no  time  in  theological  schools,  but  they  have 
compensated  for  this  lack  of  early  education  by 
genius  and  industry.  Such  men  are  not  to  be 
confused  with  those  who  are  without  training. 
Many  of  the  latter  class,  leaving  their  country  for 
their  country's  good,  have  invaded  our  American 
churches;  they  come  without  credentials,  often  say- 
ing that  these  were  lost  at  sea,  until  it  has  become 
almost  a  proverb  that  the  harbour  of  Halifax  is 
strewn  with  the  testimonials  of  English  ministers. 

At  different  times  in  England  attempts  have  been 


THE  OUTLOOK.  307 

made  to  remedy  this  e\  il,  and  yet  strong  and  promi- 
nent Congregational  leaders  have  insisted  that  any 
attempt  in  this  direction  would  be  an  infringe- 
ment of  the  liberty  of  the  local  church,  and  would 
do  more  harm  than  good.  For  instance,  Rev. 
Dr.  Thomas  Green,  ex-Chairman  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Union,  says:  "If  an  independent,  well- 
reputed  church  invites,  if  a  godly  man  accepts,  that 
is  enough  for  me,  and  I  have  yet  to  see  that  a  com- 
mittee's examination  was  a  necessary  testimonial  to 
his  full  recognition.  At  present  I  see  no  reason  for 
giving  up  the  belief  that  the  Spirit  of  God  may  call 
men  to  enter  the  ministry  direct  from  the  sheepfold, 
the  plow,  the  fishing-nets,  the  tent-making,  or  even 
from  the  carpenter's-shop."  *  And  commenting  on 
Mr.  Green's  opinions  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas,  a  prominent 
Welsh  minister,  says:  "There  is  no  other  stand  to 
be  taken  in  Independency.  I  know  that  such 
freedom  leads  to  tumult  and  irregularity  at  times, 
but  if  we  wish  to  guard  the  privileges  of  our  polity 
we  must  be  willing  to  accept  its  drawbacks.  The 
polity  which  unites  the  advantages  of  Independency 
and  Presb)'terianism  without  the  disadvantages  of 
either  the  one  or  the  other  has  not  yet  been  dis- 
covered." On  the  other  hand,  the  Rev.  S.  B. 
Ilandley,  Secretary  of  the  Staffordshire  Congrega- 
tional Union,  with  equal  urgency  and  more  cogency, 
argues  in  favour  of  an  educated  ministry,  and  also 
*  See  discussion  in  The  Iiuii-pendcnt,  London,  1891. 


3o8  THE  PI  [.GRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

for  safeguards  by  means  of  which  the  churches  may 
be  protected  from  designing  and  ignorant  men.  In 
America  that  safeguard  is  found  in  the  council  sys- 
tem, which  has  not  hitherto  had  a  place  in  English 
Congregationalism. 

And  yet,  means  for  securing  the  purity  and  abil- 
ity of  the  pulpit  have  not  been  neglected  in  the 
past ;  for,  as  this  discussion  has  shown,  the  second 
Cheshire  Congregational  Union,  formed  in  1691, 
adopted  the  "  Heads  of  Agreement  by  the  United 
Ministers  in  and  about  London  called  Presbyterial 
and  Congregational."  From  those  "Heads"  the 
following  is  an  extract  :  "  Of  the  Ministry,  (i.) 
We  agree  that  the  ministerial  office  is  instituted  by 
Christ.  .  .  .  (2.)  They  who  are  called  to  this  office 
ought  to  be  endued  with  competent  leaj'iiing  ami  inin- 
isterial gifts,  as  also  with  the  grace  of  God  ;  sound 
in  judgment,  not  novices  in  the  faith  and  knowledge 
of  the  Gospel.  .  .  .  (3.)  That  ordinarily  none  shall 
be  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  but  such  as 
are  called  and  chosen  thereunto  by  a  particular 
church.  (4.)  That  in  so  great  and  weighty  a  matter 
as  the  calling  and  choosing  a  pastor  we  judge  it  ordi- 
narily requisite  that  every  such  church  consult  and 
advise  with  pastors  of  neighbouring  churches.  (5.) 
That  after  such  advice  the  person  consulted  about, 
being  chosen  by  the  brotherhood  of  that  particular 
church  over  which  he  is  to  be  set,  and  he  accepting, 
be  duly  ordained   and  set  apart   to  his  ofifice   over 


THE  OUTLOOK'.  309 

them;  wherein  'tis  ordinarily  requisite  thai  the  pas- 
tors of  neit;hbouri!ig  congregations  concur  with  the 
presiding  elder  or  elders,  if  such  there  be,"  etc. 

Mansfield  and  several  other  colleges  are  now  lift- 
ing the  standard  of  theological  education,  for  they 
insist  on  universit}-  training  as  a  condition  of  the 
enjoyment  of  their  privileges.  To  that  previous 
preparation  they  add  thorough  instruction  in  theol- 
ogy. Before  long  most  of  the  English  colleges  will 
make  similar  requirements,  and  the  result  will  be  a 
more  thoroughly  educated  ministry  than  was  possi- 
ble when  the  Universities  were  closed  to  Noncon- 
formists and  education  was  difificult  to  obtain  except 
by  absence  from  the  country.  Yet  it  should  be 
remembered  that  the  theological  training  at  Oxford 
and  Cambridge,  before  they  were  open  to  Dis- 
senters, was  often  surpassed  by  the  local  colleges 
— imperfect  as  those  surely  were.  Until  within  lit- 
tle more  than  a  decade  there  was  no  general  S}-stem 
of  education  in  England,  and  the  population  in 
country  districts  and  in  man)'  of  the  towns  were  in 
comparative  ignorance  ;  but  now  schools  are  train- 
ing the  hearers,  and  they  in  turn  are  asking  bet* 
ter  training  for  the  pulpit.  The  demand  for  an 
educated  ministry  is  the  voice  of  the  people  insist- 
ing that  those  who  presume  to  lead  shall  be  worthy 
to  lead.  Principal  Fairbairn  has  well  said  that  the 
perils  of  an  uneducated  ministry  can  hardl}'  be  ex- 
aggerated.    This  movement  does  not  seek  to  limit 


3IO  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Christian  workers,  but  to    make  Christian    teachers 
and  leaders  competent  for  their  mission. 

During  the  last  two  years,  and  possibly  stimulated 
by  the  International  Council,  there  has  been  a  great 
advance  in  the  direction  of  Christian  unity.  The 
action  of  the  Lambeth  Conference  in  proposing  four 
articles  as  a  basis  for  such  unity  started  the  dis- 
cussion in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  the  proposi- 
tions have  been  considered  by  different  ecclesiastical 
bodies.  But  when  the  International  Council  was 
held  the  question  was  raised,  Why  were  not  all  Con- 
gregationalists  included  in  the  invitation  b)'  wliich 
it  was  convened?  When  Dr.  John  Clifford,  who 
with  Dr.  McLaren  divides  the  intellectual  primacy 
among  English  Baptists,  made  his  address  as  dele- 
gate of  the  Baptist  Union  he  asked,  "  Why  are  not 
we  here  ?  We  are  Congregationalists  as  well  as 
you."  And  Dr.  J.  Monroe  Gibson,  Moderator  of 
the  Presbyterian  General  Assembly,  suggested  that 
there  should  be  a  Council  of  Denominations.  The 
subject  was  in  the  air,  and  the  International  Coun- 
cil was  hardly  ended  before  its  honoured  Secretary, 
Rev.  Alexander  Mackennal,  D.  D.,  led  in  the  effort 
to  secure  a  Congress  of  Free  Churches.  (In  Eng- 
land the  Free  Churches  include  all  except  the  Es- 
tablishment and  the  Roman  Catholic.)  The  prop-- 
osition  received  favour.  Manchester  was  selected 
as  the  place  for  the  first  meeting.  The  various 
denominations    of    that    city  united    in    welcoming 


THE  OUTLOOK.  31I 

their  brethren  from  different  parts  of  the  Kingdom. 
This  Free  Church  Congress  will  not  fail  to  bring 
nearer  together  those  who  agree  in  their  belief  that 
there  should  be  separation  between  Church  and 
State.  Many  have  long  felt  that  Congregationalists 
and  Baptists  are  practically  one.  and  that  they 
sliould  combine  their  forces.  English  Baptists  are 
seldom  Close  Communionists,  and  where  there  is 
recognition  of  the  right  of  each  individual  to  decide 
for  himself  concerning  Baptism,  both  for  infants 
and  adults,  the  chief  barrier  toward  union  disap- 
pears. That  is  already  often  left  to  individual 
choice  in  the  English  churches,  which  in  this  coun- 
tr)'  is  made  a  condition  of  church  membership. 

Aloreover,  in  the  "  Forward  Movement,"  which 
practically  began  with  the  publication  of  "  The  Bit- 
ter Cry  of  Outcast  London  "  in  1883,  the  various  de- 
nominations of  Christians  are  cooperating  in  perfect 
harmony.  The  leaders  of  the  Baptists,  Congregation- 
alists, Wesleyans,  are  so  near  together  that  it  would 
be  impossible  for  a  stranger  to  detect  the  lines  which 
are  supposed  to  separate.  Many  Baptists  are  in 
Congregational  churches;  many  Congregationalists 
in  Baptist  congregations.  There  is  a  clear,  strong 
and  widespread  conviction  among  the  more  intelli- 
gent members  of  the  Free  Churches  in  favour  of 
ultimate  church  union  and  of  present  cooperation. 

We  now  approach  a  subject  of  surpassing  signifi- 
cance.     It  needs  no  better  name  than  that  by  which 


312  THE  PILGRIM  IX  OLD  ENGLAND. 

it  is  known — "The  Nonconformist  Conscience." 
This  is  a  crusade  whose  aim  is  the  creation  of  a  senti- 
ment among  the  people  which  will  demand  pure 
moral  character  as  a  condition  of  public  service. 
It  insists  that  those  who  occupy  high  official  posi- 
tions shall  possess  not  only  ability  and  faculty,  but 
also  that  their  lives  shall,  at  least,  be  decent,  and 
free  from  scandal.  This  movement,  as  the  name 
indicates,  is  not  limited  to  Congregationalists,  but 
among  its  apostles  are  many  of  its  most  eminent 
leaders. 

Two  illustrations  of  the  strength  of  public  senti- 
ment in  relation  to  this  subject  are  found  in  the 
cases  of  Charles  S.  Parnell  and  Sir  Charles  Dilke. 
The  one  was  the  uncrowned  king  of  Ireland,  and 
the  other  a  man  whose  intellectual  ability  and 
faculty  as  a  statesman  at  one  time  indicated  that 
he  would  be  the  successor  of  Mr.  Gladstone  in  the 
leadership  of  the  Liberal  party.  Both  men  were 
proven  guilty  of  serious  social  crimes.  Sir  Charles 
Dilke  retired  to  private  life,  declaring  that  he  would 
not  attempt  to  re-enter  public  service  until  he  had 
established  his  innocence  before  a  court  of  law.  In 
spite  of  that  declaration,  however,  he  appeared  as  a 
candidate  for  the  Forest  of  Dean,  and  the  chorus 
of  opposition  to  his  election  which  arose  from  all 
parts  of  England  showed  that  the  Christian  faith  of 
the  people  is  even  stronger  than  their  political  affilia- 
tions.    Many  declared  that  if  Sir  Charles  Dilke  were 


THE  OUTLOOK.  313 

allowed  to  assume  a  prominent  position  in  Liberal 
politics  they  would  desert  the  party,  i\nd  such  lo}-al 
Liberals  as  Dr.  Ahickennal  and  Rev.  Guinness  Rogers 
most  emphatically,  yet  in  courteous  and  Christian 
ways,  served  warning  of  what  might  be  expected  if 
the  leaders  presumed  to  disregard  the  conscience  of 
the  people.  The  electors  of  the  Forest  of  Dean  have 
returned  Sir  Charles  to  Parliament,  but  he  will  have 
to  be  content  with  obscurity,  for  the  Nonconformists 
are  a  large  proportion  of  the  Liberal  party,  and  when 
the  issue  concerns  a  matter  of  conscience  they  will 
endure  no  trifling.  Mr.  Parnell  presumed  upon  his 
supremacy  in  Irish  affairs  and  upon  his  great  ser- 
vices in  the  past,  but  fought  a  losing  battle  when 
he  attempted  to  ignore  the  conscience  of  the  Eng- 
lish people.  In  his  case  not  only  the  Nonconfor- 
mist  conscience  but  also  that  of  the  nation  was 
against  him.  Sir  Charles  Dilke's  bitterest  opponents 
were  those  who  in  other  conditions  would  have 
been  his  most  loyal  friends. 

A  more  illustrious  example  of  the  power  of  the 
Nonconformist  conscience  was  seen  in  the  case  of 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  who  in  the  spring  of  1891  was 
found  to  be  not  only  an  occasional  but  an  habitual 
gamester,  accustomed  to  go  from  house  to  house 
among  his  friends  carr)ing  with  him  the  implements 
of  the  gambler's  profession.  The  excitement  over 
this  discoveiy  can  hardly  be  exaggerated.  Even 
Mr.  Gladstone  is  reported  to  have   said  to  a  distin- 


314  THE  PILGRIM  I  A'  OLD  ENGLAND. 

guished  editor  that  certain  reflections  on  the  course 
of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  which  that  editor  had  made, 
if  pubHshed  would  imperil  the  stability  of  the 
British  throne.  The  papers  were  full  of  the  scandal, 
and  when  the  Prince  went  to  the  North  on  a  State 
occasion  in  one  city  he  was  compelled  to  pass 
under  a  transparency  on  which  were  these  words : 
"  Welcome  to  our  Prince,  but  no  welcome  for 
gamblers."  During  the  summer  of  1 891,  in  most 
audiences  of  Nonconformists,  no  sentiment  was 
more  rapturously  applauded  than  condemnation  of 
the  course  of  the  heir  to  the  throne.  The  excite- 
ment subsided  because  it  was  believed  that  the 
Prince  had  learned  his  lesson  ;  but  he  was  almost 
officially  warned  that  if  he  dared  again  to  violate 
the  conscience  of  his  subjects  it  would  be  at  the 
peril  of  the  succession.  This  may  be  an  exaggerated 
statement,  but  in  England,  under  all  the  apparent 
reverence  for  forms,  and  devotion  to  position,  there 
is  a  sturdy  reverence  for  the  fundamental  principles 
of  righteousness.  The  old  Puritan  standards  of  con- 
duct have  by  no  means  disappeared.  Faith  in  God 
and  loyalty  to  the  moral  life  are  deeply  imbedded  in 
the  English  character.  No  finer  tribute  to  the  results 
of  the  Puritan  Revolution,  and  few  more  striking 
illustrations  of  the  irony  of  history,  can  be  imagined 
than  the  fact  that  the  probable  successor  of  the  King 
who  ordered  the  reading  of  the  Book  of  Sports  in 
the  churches  on  the  Sabbath  day,  should  be  notified, 


THE  OUTLOOK.  315 

by  the  descendants  of  the  very  people  whom  his 
ancestor  presumed  to  deride,  that  his  title  to  the 
throne,  so  honoured  by  his  mother,  may  be  imper- 
illed by  dislo}-alty  to  the  principles  of  Puritan  and 
Christian  morality. 

The  movement  designated  by  the  phrase  "  Non- 
conformist Conscience  "  has  not  yet  culminated, 
and  many  men  in  conspicuous  positions  arc  being 
made  to  realise  that,  whether  tlic  power  of  the 
pulpit  is  waning  or  not,  the  teachings  of  Christ  as  a 
force  in  the  life  of  the  people  were  never  so  mighty 
or  so  vital  as  to-day.  Americans  may  well  pray  that 
that  which  is  s}-mbolised  by  the  phrase  "  Noncon- 
formist Conscience  "  may  traverse  the  Atlantic,  and 
do  its  work  in  the  halls  of  our  metropolis,  in  the 
legislatures  of  our  States,  and  in  the  Capitol  of  the 
nation  where  ignoble  politicians  violate  the  people's 
liberties  with  the  suggestion  that  bribes  be  allowed 
to  determine  the  issues  of  questions  of  national  and 
international  importance. 

Another  significant  movement  in  English  Con- 
gregationalism results  from  the  new  consciousness 
of  imperial  relations,  A  clear  idea  of  the  greatness 
of  the  British  Empire,  and  the  fact  that  the  colonies 
are  fast  becoming  Empires,  is  just  dawning  upon 
the  average  English  mind.  India  has  been  called  a 
"  dependency"  ;  so  have  Canada,  Australia  and  South 
Africa  :  but  recent  events  have  taught  the  nation 
that  if  it  would  retain  its  hold    upon    its  colonies  it 


SI 6  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

must  appreciate  its  own  imperial  privileges  and 
their  greatness.  Australasia,  under  the  leadership 
of  Sir  Henry  Parks,  has  made  a  great  stride  toward 
unity  and  nationality  beneath  the  Southern  Cross. 
South  Africa,  under  the  guidance  of  Cecil  Rhodes, 
is  facing  the  future  with  the  prospect  of  speedily 
becoming  an  independent  Empire  ;  and  Canada  has 
long  been  independent  in  nearly  everything  but 
name.  Increased  intercommunication  has  brought 
to  the  home  government  a  new  conception  of  the 
vastness  of  the  dominion  of  which  Westminster  is 
the  capital.  An  imperial  consciousness  has  grown 
in  the  minds  of  all  Englishmen. 

Springing  out  of  the  growth  of  this  imperial  idea 
has  also  grown  a  truer  conception  of  the  responsi- 
bility of  English  Christians,  and  of  their  duty  in  a 
world-wide  federation.  Pastors  go  and  come  be- 
tween England  and  Australia,  Canada  and  South 
Africa.  Dr.  Bevan,  after  having  been  in  London, 
came  to  New  York,  returned  to  London,  and  is  now 
in  Australia.  The  successor  of  Baldwin  Brown  was 
called  from  Canada.  A  son  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  long 
the  pastor  of  a  large  church  in  New  Zealand,  has 
now  been  asked  to  succeed  his  father  in  London. 
The  sons  of  Colonial  Nonconformists  go  to  England 
for  education.  As  the  colonies  and  the  mother 
country  are  getting  nearer  together,  and  better 
appreciating  each  other,  the  consciousness  that 
the  English  churches  have  relations  which  are  not 


THE  octlook: 


j'/ 


insular  is  disapi)Ccuing,  and  their  digiiit)'  and  re- 
sponsibility as  leaders  in  a  world-wide  movement 
for  the  advancement  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  is 
beincf  recognised.  The  International  Council  of 
Congregationalists  held  in  London  in  1891  stimu- 
lated this  consciousness.  It  brought  together  rep- 
resentatives of  the  churches  from  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  and  showed  that  their  brotherhood  is  real 
and  vital.  It  was  once  said  by  way  of  reproach,  of 
English  Independents,  that  they  thought  only  of 
themselves,  or  of  interests  which  were  near  to  them- 
selves. That  reproach  is  no  longer  merited.  They 
realise  that  they  arc  part  of  a  world-wide  fellowship; 
that  on  them  rest  imperial  obligations,  and  with 
a  fine  enthusiasm  they  are  rising  to  meet  their 
responsibilities. 

We  now  turn  from  these  questions  to  another 
which  is  of  greater  interest  to  American  thinkers, 
namely  the  theological  outlook  in  the  English 
churches.  This  subject  was  considered  in  two  pa- 
pers read  before  the  International  Council — one  by 
Principal  Simon,  of  the  Theological  College  at 
Edinburgh,  and  the  other  by  Dr.  E.  R.  Conder,  of 
Leeds.  Few  men  were  better  able  to  speak  on  this 
subject  than  the  accomplished  theologian  of  Scot- 
land, and  the  eminent  representative  pastor  of  the 
North  of  England." 

*  Dr.  Conder,  who  was  one  of  the  most  scholarly  of  modern  Eng- 
lish divines,  has   died   since    the   meeting  of   the    Council.     He  was 


3l8  THE  riLGRIM  IN  OLD  EXGLAXD. 

Principal  Simon  found  little  that  is  encouraging 
to  a  theologian  in  the  state  of  theological  science  in 
Great  Britain.  He  says :  "  The  first  thing  that 
calls  for  notice  is  the  pronounced  and  widespread 
distaste,  not  to  say  aversion  or  hostility,  to  the  theo- 
logical and  scientific  treatment  of  Christian  truth.  , 
.  .  The  theological  tone  of  our  colleges  is,  I  be. 
lieve,  higher  than  it  ever  was,  but  the  anti-theologi. 
cal,  and  falsely  practical,  current  is  so  strong  out- 
side that  even  the  best  students  have  difficulty  in 
stemming  it — the  majority  prefer  to  float  with  it," 
He  supports  these  statements  by  two  or  three  inter- 
esting facts.  During  the  last  thirty-five  years  only 
one  work  on  Systematic  Theology  has  been  pub- 
lished by  British  Congregationalists,  and  out  of  six 
hundred  registered  Congregational  publications,  dur- 
ing, say,  twenty-five  }'ears,  scarcely  fifty  are  scien- 
tifically theological  ;  and  out  of  upwards  of  four 
liundred  and  fifty  discourses  by  Congregational  min- 
isters, printed  during  the  last  five  years,  or  there- 
abouts, in  the  Christian  World  Pulpit,  scarcely  thirty 
were  properly  doctrinal.  He  makes  an  exception, 
however,  of  three  doctrines,  in  his  statement  that 
there  is  little  interest  concerning  theological  sub- 
jects; those  three  are.  Inspiration,  the  Atonement, 
and  Future  Punishment.     He  believes,  however,  that 

pastor  of  the  Parade  Street  Congregational  Chapel  in  Leeds.  Dr. 
Simon  is  no  longer  in  Edinburgh,  having  been  called  to  the  Presidency 
of  the  United  College  at  Bradford,  Yorkshire,  in  succession  to  Dr. 
Falding. 


Till:   OUTLOOK.  319 

while  in  recent  times  tlierc  is  less  doctrinal  preach- 
ing than  fornierl)-,  the  tone  of  the  pulpit  is  more 
profoundly  ethical  than  ever  before.  The  old  Cal- 
vinism, he  says  is  entirely  gone.  There  is  "  no 
clearly  defined  doctrine  of  Inspiration."  We  are  all 
"at  sixes  and  sevens  concerning  the  doctrine  of 
(iod."  "Stress  is  no  longer  laid  on  His  infinitude, 
His  transcendence,  His  absolute  authority,  His  aw- 
ful holiness,  infallible  righteousness  and  consuming 
anger :  we  dwell  by  preference  on  their  essential 
affinities  as  involved  for  example  in  the  Divine 
I'^atherhood  and  immanence;  in  His  love  and  yearn- 
ing for  man  ;  and  in  the  claims  which  men  have  on 
llim."  He  thinks  that  more  emphasis  is  put  on  the 
humanity  than  on  the  divinity  of  Christ  ;  that  "  con- 
version has  been  well-nigh  converted  into  decision 
for  Christ  ;  regeneration  into  a  process  of  spiritual 
culture."  On  the  question  of  man's  future  destiny 
he  says  that  the  churches  are  divided  between 
Universalism,  the  doctrine  of  life  in  Christ,  the 
Larger  Hope,  and  various  phases  of  a  non-committal 
position — the  sterner  views  held  a  generation  ago 
having  well-nigh  disappeared. 

Here  is  an  interesting  sentence  :  "  Compare  the 
heresy-fancier  of  to-day  with  the  heres)'-huntcr  of 
the  past,  and  you  will  scarcely  hesitate  to  apply  the 
word  revolution  to  the  change  that  has  come  about. 
Few  things,  however,  are  more  significant  than  the 
fact  that  Tenn\'son's  lines,  the  quotation  of  which 


320  THE  PJLGK/M  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

in  my  student  days  was  almost  enough  to  stamp  a 
man  a  heretic — 

'  Our  little  systems  have  their  day ; 
They  have  their  day  and  cease  to  be  ; 
They  are  but  broken  lights  of  Thee, 
And  Thou,  O  Lord,  art  more  than  they  '— 

now    form   part  of  a  hymn  hi  the  'New  Congrega- 
tional Hymnal.'  " 

Principal  Simon,  commenting  on  the  significance 
of  the  change,  finds  in  it  a  reaction  against  dogma, 
and  especial!}'  against  the  error  which,  he  says, 
found  classical  expression  in  the  words  of  the 
Athanasian  Creed  :  "  Whosoever  will  be  saved,  be- 
fore all  things  it  is  necessary  that  he  hold  the  Cath- 
olic faith."  "  In  view,  however,  of  the  stress  which 
is  at  last  beginning  to  be  laid  on  the  distinction 
between  fact  and  doctrine,  of  the  increasing  effort 
to  get  face  to  face  with  historical  actualities,  what- 
ever their  nature  ;  of  the  marked  revival  of  Biblical 
studies ;  of  the  place  that  is  being  assigned  to 
Christian  experience  in  the  genesis  of  Divine  knowl- 
edge;  and  of  the  growth  of  interest  in  philosophy, 
I  look  forward  to  a  day  when  under  the  inspiration 
of  insight  into  the  true  functions  of  theology, — 
namely,  first,  to  supply  the  believer  with  a  reason 
for  the  faith  he  already  possesses,  and  thus  to  add 
to  his  capability  of  bearing  strain  and  witness 
then   of  helping  to  guide   non-believers    to  Christ 


THE  OUTLOOK.  32  I 

further,  of  giving  doubters  a  reason  for  believing,  a 
very  different  thing  from  giving  Christ  a  reason  for 
receiving  non-behevers  and  doubters  ;  and,  finally, 
of  filling  up  an  otherwise  vacant  and  fatal  gap  in  the 
circle  of  sciences — the  prevailing  indifference  will 
gi\-e  place  to  hearty,  intelligent  and  active  interest." 

This  paper  of  Principal  Simon's,  and  others  read 
at  the  same  time,  were  discussed  by  several  English 
ministers,  among  the  number  being  Principal  Fair- 
bairn  and  Rev.  George  S.  Barrett,  both  of  whom 
made  remarks  which  are  worthy  of  careful  notice. 

Principal  P^airbairn  said :  "  Now  the  movement 
of  thought  consequent  on  the  new  historical  method 
has  led  to  two  things ;  on  one  side,  to  the  recovery 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  on  the  other  side,  to 
the  recovery  of  their  great  historical  Person.  I  do 
not  hesitate  to  say  that  our  theology  is  marked 
more  than  anything  by  the  recovery  of  Christ." 
He  further  said  :  '  I  do  not  think  that  systematic 
theology  is  done  with.  I  believe  it  is  only  begin- 
ning to  be.  But  there  is  a  vast  difference  between 
systematic  theology  and  agglomerated  theology.  .  . 
The  doctrine  that  we  need  as  the  pre-eminent  doc- 
trine for  Christianity  must  be  on  the  historical  side 
Christocentric,  and  on  the  doctrinal  side  it  must  be 
Theocentric."  The  substance  of  Principal  Fair- 
bairn's  address  may  be  epitomised  in  the  statement 
that  the  historical  movement  has  led  to  the  recovery 
by  the  modern    Church  of    the    Scriptures    and   of 


322  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

Christ.  Mr.  Barrett,  in  an  admirable  speech,  con- 
densed  his  survey  of  the  theological  outlook  as  fol- 
lows ;  "  So  far  as  I  know  anything  of  the  theological 
thought  of  our  ministers  it  may  be  characterised  in 
two  sentences — first :  hearty  loyalty  to  the  evangeli- 
cal faith  ;  and,  secondly,  the  utmost  freedom  in  criti- 
cism, both  of  doctrine,  and  the  human  side  of  the 
Bible." 

Turning  now  to  the  condensed  and  luminous  pa- 
per of  Dr.  Conder,  we  find  him  saying  that  there  are 
three  movements  of  great  importance  which  indi- 
cate the  theological  changes  through  which  the 
English  churches  have  passed  in  fifty  years.  The 
first  is  the  disappearance  of  the  old  theology  known 
as  Calvinism  ;  the  second,  the  upgrowth  of  an  un- 
precedented sentiment  of  freedom  ;  and  the  third, 
the  place  personally  occupied  by  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  in  theological  thought,  in  preaching — es- 
pecially evangelistic  or  mission  preaching — and  in 
Christian  life.  He  states  his  opinion  of  the  first  two 
movements  as  follows :  "  We  have  lost  theology, 
and  we  have  gained  freedom."  "  In  our  day,  instead 
of  looking  into  himself  to  see  whether  he  truly 
believes  and  understands  the  Gospel,  the  penitent 
is  encouraged  to  bring  his  ignorance  as  well  as  his 
sinfulness  and  impotence  to  Christ,  and  to  put  him- 
self unconditionally  in  the  hands  of  the  living  and 
loving  Saviour,  who  was  delivered  up  for  his  tres- 
passes and  raised  for  his  justification." 


THE  OUTLOOK.  323 

Dr.  Conder  is  careful  in  all  his  statements,  and 
is  both  a  shrewd  and  wise  observer.  He  believes 
that  the  spiritual  gains  from  the  transformation  of 
theology  arc  immense,  yet  docs  not  fail  to  recognise 
that  there  have  also  been  great  losses.  One  state- 
ment in  the  address  from  which  we  have  quoted  is 
that  the  old  theology  did  not  perish  under  the 
assault  of  a  rival  system,  but  expired  because  an 
atmosphere  had  been  created  in  which  it  could  not 
breathe.  He  says  concerning  the  doctrine  of  a 
Limited  Atonement :  "  We  have  frankly  come  over 
to  the  ground  of  our  Wesleyan  brethren."  *  Dr. 
Conder  especially  commends  Dr.  Dale's  book  on 
the  Atonement  as  indicating  the  line  along  which 
English  thought  is  likely  to  move.  Concerning  Es- 
chatology,  he  says  :  "  Views  of  Divine  government, 
of  the  unlimited,  undiscriminating  punishment  of 
sin,  and  of  the  condition  and  fate  of  the  heathen 
world,  which  have  never  commanded  the  unanimous 
assent  of  the  wisest  Christian  thinkers,  yet  which 
were  commonly  preached  without  a  qualm  and  with 
terrific  power  fifty  years  since,  have  become — may  I 
not  say  to  most  of  us — incredible,  because  they 
seem  to  ascribe  injustice  to  God."  He  does  not  in- 
dicate, however,  any  special  centre  about  which  the 
thought  of  the  English  churches  concerning  this 
subject  is  crystallising. 

*  Rev.  Bryan  Dale,  commenting  on  this  remark,  says  :  "  Long  ago, 
cliiefly  through  Dr.  Wardlaw's  book." 


324  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

His  summary  is  as  follows:  "Our  churches  have 
gained  in  breadth,  catholicity,  elasticity,  activity, 
sympathy  with  the  temporal  as  well  as  the  spiritual 
need  and  woe  of  our  neighbours,  of  our  nation,  of  the 
world.  But  in  personal  spiritual  life — q.  d.  in  faith, 
fervour,  prayer,  unworldly  simplicity,  intense  relig- 
ious conviction,  stern  loyalty  to  truth  and  conscience 
self-denial,  the  life  of  conscious  relation  to  things 
unseen  and  eternal,  and  living  communion  with  our 
Saviour  and  our  Father  by  the  mighty  indwelling 
Spirit, — glad  as  I  should  be  to  believe  it,  I  dare  not 
assert  that  we  surpass — I  doubt  if  we  equal — the 
Christians  whose  characters  were  sliaped  and  tough- 
ened by  a  severer  creed  in  a  more  wintry  social, 
civil,  moral  and  religious  climate." 

This  is  an  outline  of  the  doctrinal  beliefs  of  the 
English  churches  as  indicated  by  the  utterances  of 
some  of  their  most  distinguished,  and  truly  repre- 
sentative, leaders.  Often  quite  as  accurate  an  es- 
timate may  be  formed  by  an  observer  from  the 
outside  as  by  testimony  from  within,  and  I  therefore 
venture  to  record  some  of  my  own  impressions  con- 
cerning the  present  theological  status  of  English 
Congregationalists.  Without  doubt  there  is  rela- 
tively little  doctrinal  preaching  in  England ;  and 
the  effort  of  the  pulpit  is  rather  in  practical  than 
in  theological  lines,  but  there  is  much  Biblical 
and  expository  preaching.  It  is  true  that  in  their 
theological  colleges    there    is   but    one    preeminent 


THE  OUTLOOK.  3-5 

theologian,    but    there    are    several    inspiring    and 
helpful    teachers.       Even    Dr.    Fairbairn    has   won 
his   fame    by  lecturing  and   preaching  and   by  oc- 
casional articles,  rather  than  by  permanent  contri- 
butions to  theological  scholarship.*     Principal  Cave 
of    Hackney   has    published    more    than    Principal 
Fairbairn,  and  is  a  vigorous  thinker  and  voluminous 
writer.     Principal   Reynolds,  of  Cheshunt  College, 
is  a  theological  instructor  who  has  made  a  far  deeper 
impression   on    his    students   than    on    the    outside 
world,  and  is  a  man  of  lofty  and  inspiring  spirituality  ; 
while  Principal   Scott,  of   Lancashire    College,  has 
long  worthily  filled  a  difficult  and  honourable  posi- 
tion.      Professor    Duff,    of    Airedale,  has    recently 
published  a  very  valuable  book  on  Biblical  Theology 
which  is  full  of  promise  for  the  future.     And  yet 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  Dr.  Fairbairn  is  the  only 
English  theologian  of  any  denomination  whose  fame 
is  world-wide. 

In  the  theological  colleges  of  England  there  is 
too  little  division  of  labour.  The  institutions  are 
too  numerous  for  the  territory  and  the  endowments  ; 
consequently,  each  professor  is  burdened  with  such 
a  variety  of  duties  as  makes  it  impossible  for  him  to 
find  time  for  much  original  investigation,  and  for 
such  contributions  to  current  thought  as  make  a 
theologian  a  power  among   the  people  as  w^ell  as 

*This  was  written  before  the  publication  of  his  last  great  work — 
"The  Place  of  Christ  in  Modern  Theology." 


326  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

among  his  students.  As  I'rincipal  Simon  and  Dr. 
Conder  have  said,  the  ancient  type  of  Calvinism  has 
gone.  No  single  eminent  English  Congregation- 
alist  is,  in  the  old  sense,  a  Calvinist.  Dr.  Dale 
distinctly  declares  that  he  gave  up  Calvinism 
years  ago.  Concerning  the  doctrine  of  Inspiration 
there  is  about  the  same  uncertainty  as  in  this  coun- 
try. There  is  no  disposition  to  slacken  the  hold  on 
the  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God,  but  theories  concern- 
ing it  differ,  and  no  one  of  them  is  conspicuously 
representative.  Most  religious  teachers  of  acknowl- 
edged eminence  believe  in  Continuous  Inspiration  ; 
and  in  the  personal  Holy  Ghost,  who  is  in  as  vital 
relations  with  Christians  in  these  later  day  as  with 
the  ancient  Church.  Concerning  the  doctrine  of 
the  Atonement  there  is  not  much  disposition  to 
dogmatise.  McLeod  Campbell,  Maurice  and  Bush- 
nell  have  greatly  influenced  the  thinking  of  English 
ministers  on  this  subject.  The  cross  of  Christ 
is  central  and  regulative  in  their  preaching.  Cal- 
vary is  a  great  and  dear  name, — every  head  is 
uncovered  and  ever)'  voice  hushed  as  thought  ap- 
proaches that  sacred  place.  Dr.  Parker  did  not 
misrepresent  the  average  English  feeling  when  in 
his  farewell  address  at  the  International  Council, 
having  referred  to  the  cross  and  Calvary,  and  being 
interrupted  by  some  one  who  started  a  cheer,  he 
said  :  "  Stop  !  The  man  who  would  cheer  such  an 
utterance  as    that    does    not  understand    it."     The 


THE  OUTLOOK.  327 

great    majority  of    Englisli    preachers   are  firm    be- 
lievers in  the  essential  deity  of  Jesus  Christ.* 

When  the  subject  of  Last  Things  is  approached 
there  is  no  doubt  but  tliat  the  old  doctrine  of 
Everlasting  Punishment  has  been  placed  in  the 
background.  Some,  as  Edward  White  and  Dr. 
Dale,  accept  the  theory  known  as  Conditional  Im- 
mortality. 

Many  both  among  ministers  and  laity  hold  to 
"The  Larger  Hope,"  of  which  Tennyson  and  Fred- 
erick Maurice  are  the  most  eminent  modern  proph- 
ets;  and  perhaps  a  still  larger  number  do  not 
attempt  to  formulate  their  belief  concerning  the 
mysterious  subject  of  Last  Things. 

The  English  Congregational  churches  are  not 
moving  toward  Unitarianism.  They  were  never 
more  evangelical  in  spirit  than  to-day. 

If  their  teaching  is  ethical  rather  than  theological 
it  is  because  they  feel  the  pressure  of  life,  and 
m  this  loud  and  stirring  time  there  is  little  oppor- 
tunity for  them  to  devote  their  energies  to  specula- 
tion. The  English  pulpit  is  manned  by  men  able 
to  do  strong  and  earnest  thinking.  Joseph  Parker, 
R.  W.  Dale,  Guinness  Rogers,  Alexander  Macken- 
nal,  R.  F.  Horton,  George  S.  Barrett,  Charles  A. 
Berr>%  P.  T.  Forsyth,  Samuel  Pearson,  Alexander 
Goodrich,  F.  H.  Stead  and  others  like  them,  do  not 

*  Rev.  Bryan  Dale  adds :  "  No  other  could  long  hold  his  place  in  a 
Congregational  pulpit." 


328  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

turn  from  the  profoundest  topics  of  theology  be- 
cause they  are  afraid  to  treat  them,  but,  if  at  all, 
because  other  themes  seem  for  the  moment  to  be  of 
more  imperative  importance. 

The  English  churches,  and  English  thinkers,  as  a 
rule,  emphasise  the  Fatherhood  of  God  ;  the  con- 
tinuous inspiration  of  the  Spirit  ;  the  Deity  of 
Jesus  Christ ;  the  cross  of  Calvary — an  eternal  and 
superlative  fact;  retribution — a  reality;  the  brother- 
hood of  man,  so  near  and  so  urgent  in  its  demands 
as  to  necessitate  the  interpretation  of  all  other 
doctrines  in  its  light. 

The  demands  of  our  subject  require  that  at  least 
an  attempt  be  made  to  answer  the  question.  What 
part  has  Independency  yet  to  play  in  the  religious 
development  of  England?  As  in  the  past  so  in  the 
future  it  will  have  to  lead  the  Free  Churches  in 
their  effort  to  secure  Disestablishment.  No  other 
denomination  has  contested  with  the  Congrega- 
tionalists  leadership  in  this  movement.  Mr.  Ed- 
ward Miall,  M.  P.,  who  did  more  than  any  other 
man  to  give  to  it  the  prominence  which  it  deserves 
as  a  political  question,  and  Mr.  Henry  Richard,  M.  P., 
another  eminent  leader  in  the  same  cause,  were 
both  at  one  time  Congregational  ministers.  The 
Pilgrims  and  their  descendants  have  been  in  the  van 
in  all  the  long  and  fierce  battle  for  a  free  church. 
Only  within  a  comparatively  short  period  have  the 
Wesleyans  been  willing  to  acknowledge  that  they 


THE  OUTLOOK.  329 

are  really  Dissenters.  In  other  communions  indi- 
viduals have  taken  conspicuous  positions  as  oppo- 
nents of  a  State  Church  ;  but,  from  the  first,  Congre- 
gational churches  have  been  at  the  front. 

Disestablishment  cannot  long  be  delayed,  al- 
though there  is  wide  difference  of  opinion  as  to  how 
it  will  be  realised.  James  Martincau  believes  that, 
coupled  with  Disendowmcnt,  Disestablishment  would 
be  a  national  disaster.  Canon  Farrar  thinks  that 
Disestablishment  will  probably  come  in  Wales,  but 
that  it  will  be  an  illustration  of  the  sins  of  the  par- 
ents being  visited  on  their  children,  because  the 
Church  in  Wales  is  now  doing  a  work  which,  were 
it  not  for  the  mistakes  of  the  past,  would  make  Dis- 
establishment impossible.  Mr.  Balfour  sneers  at 
the  selfishness  of  Nonconformists,  but  his  sneers 
stimulate  rather  than  obstruct  their  cause.  More 
and  more  the  English  people  as  a  whole  are  coming 
to  believe  that  the  Church  and  the  State  should  be 
separate,  and  the  old  leaders  in  this  crusade  must 
remain  at  its  head  until  the  victory  is  won.  Ed- 
ward Miall,  Henry  Richard  and  Sir  Edward  Baines 
have  gone,  but  Carvell  Williams,  Guinness  Rogers, 
Drs.  ]\Iackennal  and  Dale,  still  remain,  and  are  doing 
valiant  service  in  the  cause  of  religious  freedom. 

Futhermore,  Congregationalists  in  England,  as 
around  the  world,  have  more  or  less  inspired  all  the 
denominations  with  admiration  for  the  principle  of 
self-government,  and  therefore  have  one  distinctive 


330  THE  PILGRIM  IN  OLD  ENGLAND. 

mission,  namely  to  keep  before  the  people  a  polity 
which  makes  a  true  Christian  unity  possible.  There 
can  never  be  union  of  the  churches  on  the  basis  of 
such  an  interpretation  of  the  "  Historic  Episcopate  *' 
as  would  require  the  descendants  of  the  Puritans  to 
acknowledge  that  John  Bunyaii,  John  Owen,  John 
Knox  and  John  Robinson  were  not  in  the  apostolic 
succession  and  true  apostles  of  God.  The  Presby- 
terian polity  can  hardly  be  the  universal  one,  because 
it  possesses  too  much  machinery.  The  Church  of 
the  future  will  recognise  the  independency  of  each 
local  company  of  believers,  its  right  to  make  its 
creed  for  itself,  and  to  determine  what  its  methods 
of  work  shall  be,  while  it  unites  all  local  churches  in 
the  strongest  of  all  bonds — the  chains  of  Christian 
fellowship.  In  the  United  States  the  Presbyterian 
church  will  never  have  freedom  from  theological 
strife  until  it  comes  to  the  Congregational  position, 
namely,  that  each  church  may  determine  for  itself  its 
Confession  of  Faith  and  its  conditions  of  fellowship. 
I  have  no  idea  that  the  Church  of  the  future  will  be 
purely  Congregational ;  surely  it  will  not  be  the  abso- 
lute independency  seen  in  England  a  century  ago,  or 
that  modification  of  it  which  is  now  found  in  Amer- 
ica. The  coming  Church  will  put  more  emphasis 
upon  fellowship  than  any  Congregationalists  now  do, 
and  will  devise  some  wise  and  consistent  plan  by 
which  all  may  cooperate  in  aggressive  movements 
for  the  advancement  of   the  Kingdom  of  God  with- 


THE  outlook:  331 

out  disloyalty  to  an)-  one's  convictions  of  truth. 
Whatever  the  form  or  name  which  the  Church  of 
the  future  may  assume  it  is  certain  that  witii  the 
growth  of  intelligence,  with  clearer  conceptions  of 
the  rights  and  obligations  of  conscience,  no  ecclesi- 
astical order  will  be  large  enough  to  meet  the  needs 
of  all  the  people  which  does  not  guarantee  perfect 
liberty  to  the  local  church,  and  at  the  same  time 
provide  for  large  and  wise  cooperation  in  carrying 
on  charitable  and  missionarj^  activities.  Changes  in 
all  the  denominations  are  inevitable.  Peculiarities 
long  cherished  and  musty  are  being  laid  aside,  non- 
essentials are  receiving  less  emphasis,  and  that  vital 
and  enduring  Christian  unity  is  being  realised  by 
growth  which  it  has  been  found  impossible  to  secure 
by  mechanical  contrivances. 

Whatever,  then,  may  be  the  developments  of  the 
future,  this  may  safely  be  predicted:  the  two  poles 
of  the  sphere  on  which  the  coming  Church  will  turn 
must  be — the  independency  of  the  local  church,  and 
the  fellowship  of  all  the  churches.  To  keep  these 
two  thoughts  constantly  before  the  people  who  are 
passing  through  what  is  little  less  than  a  great  eccle- 
siastical and  theological  revolution,  is  the  peculiar 
mission  of  English  Congregationalism  in  the  imme- 
diate future. 


332  THE  PILGRIM  IiV  OLD  ENGLAND. 

We  bring  this  study  of  spiritual  life  and  ecclesias- 
tical polity  to  a  close  with  a  feeling  of  inspiration 
and  satisfaction,  for  we  have  learned  that  the  chil- 
dren of  our  fathers  who  remained  in  Old  England 
have  fought,  and  are  winning,  the  same  battle  for 
liberty  of  conscience  and  freedom  to  think  and 
worship,  that  has  been  fought  and  won  in  the 
American  Republic.  The  descendants  of  Robinson, 
Brewster  and  Bradford  have  done  their  work  in 
America  ;  the  descendants  of  Thomas  Goodwin, 
Philip  Nye,  and  their  associates,  have  been  equally 
loyal  to  vital  truth  in  Old  England.  The  principles 
which  have  given  to  Americans  their  characteristic 
civilisation  have  been  transforming  institutions  and 
bringing  in  larger  liberty  among  Englishmen.  There 
are  sad  and  discouraging  features  in  the  outlook, 
and  many  of  them  have  at  different  times  been 
pointed  out  with  discrimination  and  wisdom,  but 
there  is  eternal  youth  in  those  principles  which  have 
been  held  aloft  by  the  Pilgrims  and  their  children  in 
Old  England  ;  and  of  their  ultimate  victory,  both 
in  Church  and  State,  there  can  be  little  doubt — if 
what  has  been  is  prophetic  of  what  is  to  be.  The 
contrast  between  the  church  in  the  Bridewell  and 
such  churches  as  are  now  found  in  every  part  of 
England,  the  United  States,  and  the  British  Colonial 
Empire,  is  great  indeed,  but  not  greater  than  the 
contrast  between  the  civilisation  of  the  Elizabethan 
and  the  Victorian  eras  of  English  history. 


THE  OUTLOOK.  HI 

I  will  not  finish  these  lectures  without  expressing 
the  hope  that  they  may  help  a  little  toward  a  truer 
and    better   appreciation    of    "  our  kin    beyond  the 
sea  ";    nor  without  the  prophecy  that  as  Christians 
on  both  sides  of  the  water  learn  to  understand  and 
appreciate  one  another,  they  will  compel  the  politi- 
cians to  abandon  their  habit  of  taking  counsel  of  the 
ignorant  and  selfish  who  are  influenced  by  passion 
and  greed,  and  thus  hasten  a  truer,  more  vital,  and 
more  enduring  union  of  those   nations,  which,  most 
of  all,  ought  to  be  constantly  loyal  to   each    other. 
Great    Britain  and  the    United   States  of   America 
have  common  interests,  a  common  lanugage,  a  com- 
mon   religion,    a   common    history.     May    all    that 
tends  to   divide  and  make  hostile  disappear,  and  a 
thousand   Christian   ministries  bind   into  close   and 
lasting    fellowship    those    nations    which     seem    to 
be  separated  by  a  great  dividing  flood,  but  which 
are  in   reality  one  people,  with  a  common  mission 
and  a  common  destiny. 


INDEX. 


Adolition'  of  University  tests, 
1 06. 

Academies,  158, 

Adelbert,  17. 

Africa,  South,  315-317. 

Allon,  Dr.  Henry,  87,  112,  173- 
175,  272,  277,  285. 

Ambrose,  252. 

American  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners for  Foreign  Mis- 
sions, 133,  140. 

American  Republic,  7. 

Anabaptists,  56. 

Andover  Theological  Seminary, 

157. 
Anglicans,  25,  26. 
Apostles'  Creed,  231,  232. 
Apostolic    Church,    16,    19,  27, 

39- 
Archdeacons,  99. 
Arches,  Court  of,  98. 
Arianism,  67,  261. 
.A.rminianism,  214,  242,  243. 
Articles  of  Faith,  152,  229-231, 

234- 
Assembly,  Savoy,  185,  186,  194, 
195,  204,  205,  222. 
Westminister,   184-186,   192, 
205. 


{Assembly — continued^ 
Presbyterian  General,  310. 

Associations,  County,  169,  170. 
State  Local,  i  50. 

Athanasian  Creed,  320. 

Augustine,  17,  88,  89,  92. 

Australia,  315-317. 

Awakening,  the  Great,  206. 

Bacon,  Lord,  255. 

Baines,  128. 

Bailey,  F.  T.,  231. 

Balfour,  329. 

Baptism,  13,  311. 

Baptist  Churches,  180,  iSr. 

Conditions    of    Membership. 

232,  237. 
Baptists,  68,  73,  108,  283. 
Baptist  Union,  302. 
Barbarians  in  England,  88. 
Barnard,  Sherman  S..  208. 
Barnes,  '91. 
Barrett,  Geo.  S.,  277.  292,  321, 

322,  327,  329. 
Barrowe,  Henry.  60,  61,  63,  69, 

80.  253. 
Baxter,  Richard,  257.  258. 
Beecher,    Henry    Ward,    253, 

254.  259,  271. 


336 


INDEX. 


Behrends,  A.  J.  F.,  232. 

Bernard,  St.,  252. 

Berry,  Chas.  A.,  168,  229,  277, 
292,  327. 

Bethune,  Dr.  Geo.  E.,  254. 

Bevan,  Dr.,  316. 

Binney,  Thomas,  267,  268,  271, 
272,  275,  276,  279. 

Bishops,  12,46,  75,  90,  99,  105, 
162. 
Election  of  Christian,  43. 
Supremacy  of,  47. 

Bishop  of  the  diocese,  95. 

"  Bitter   Cry   of   Outcast  Lon- 
don," 134,  135,  303,  311. 

Boatmen  of  Madras,  17. 

Boleyn,  Anne,  92. 

Boniface,  17. 

Boot  and  Shoe  Brigade,  135. 

Booth,  Charles,  135. 

Booth,  General,  136. 

Boston  (Massachusetts),       65, 
207.  288. 

Bradford,  (England,)  1 59,  332. 

Bradford,  William,  54,  65. 

Bradford  Observer,  128. 

Bradlaugh,  Charles,  86. 

Brewster,  William,    54,  64,  65, 

255.  332- 
Bridge,  William,  185,  186. 
Briggs,    Professor   Charles  A., 

302. 
Bright,  John,  280. 
Bristol,  Albert  G.,  208. 
Brown,   James    Baldwin,     166, 

171,  267,  272,  276,  280. 
Browne,    Robert,   53,    59,    80. 
Brownists,  53,  60. 
Brown,  John,  45,  292. 
Brooke,  Lord,  183. 
Brooks,  Phillips,  254,  259,  279. 
Buckingham,  Duke  of,  55. 
Burial  Hill,  202,  208,  222. 
Burgon,  Dean,   109. 
Burleigh,  Lord,  61,  6^,. 


Burroughs,  Jeremiah,  185. 
Bushnell,    Horace,     254,     260, 

326. 
Bvles,  of   Bradford  Observer, 
■      128. 

Calvin,  50,  55,92. 
Calvinism,    70,    75,    181,     214, 

299.  319.  326. 
Calvinism  in  England  now,  1 37. 
Calvinistic  Creed,  242,  243. 

System,  186. 
Calvinists,  51. 
Cambridge       (Massachusetts), 

106,  158,  309. 
Cambridge  Platform,  204. 
Campbell,  Dr.,  267,  326. 
Canada,  315,  317. 
Canterbury,  Archbishop  of,  95, 

99.  102. 
Carpenter,  Dr.  Boyd,  280. 
Caryll,  186. 
Cartwright,    Thomas,    50,    55, 

181. 
Case  for  Disestablishment,  97. 
Catechism,  Shorter,  203. 

Westminster,  187,  197. 
Catharine  of  Aragon,  92. 
Cathedrals,  1 18. 
Catholics,  Original   Owners  of 

Church  Property,  loi. 

Failed  to  unite   Church  and 
State,  114. 

Gain  seats  in  Parliament,  106. 
Cave,  Principal,  292,  325. 
Chapel  Union,  168,  173,  277. 

Building    Society,    134,    140, 
158. 

Mark  Lane,  260. 

Weigh  House,  276. 

Westminster,  267,  268,  270, 
276. 
Chapels,  168. 
Charter,  91. 
Charles  First,  54,  256. 


INDEX. 


337 


Charles  Second,  66.  96. 
Cheshunt.  159- 
Cheyne,  Canon.  301. 
Chicago,  207,  288. 
Christ.  Deity  of.  201. 
Christian  Unity,  309. 
Church    Aid  and    Home   Mis- 
sionary Society,   134.    139- 

148.  149.  '51- 
Anglican,  I2(. 

Arguments  for  and   against 
union  with  State,  109.  no. 
American,  216. 
Branch.   151. 
Congresses.  88. 
Chorlton  Road,  16S. 
Early  Christian.  45-47- 
English.  Articles  of  the.  105. 
Discipline  of  the.  98. 
Laws  concerning  property, 

too. 
Origin  and  value  of  prop- 
erly, 101,  102. 
Entrance  to,  47. 
Erection.  140. 
Episcopal,  97.  1 19. 
Established,  69,  80,  182. 
Free.    22.   25.   28,    120,  138, 

162,  181,  301,  328. 
Free,  Genesis  of,  59. 

Congress  of,  310,  311. 
Future,  20,  31,  32,  330,  331. 
Ideal.  14.  15.  20. 
In  Antioch,  40, 
In  Corinth,  8. 
Independent,  151,  153. 
In  Jerusalem,  8,  19,  27,  40. 
Irish,  120. 
Local,  142,  169. 
Mission,  i  51. 
Order,  196. 

Organisation  for  work,  167. 
Parish,  no. 

Parties.  High    and  Low,  25 
loS. 


(Church — continued?) 
Polity.  Platform  of.  192. 

Reestablishment  of,  96. 

Roman,  89,  90,  252. 

and  State,  Union  of,  67,  1 1  5. 

Union,  1  50. 

Universal.  238. 
Churches.  Basis  of  Union.  147. 

Members  of,  97. 

Number  of. in  England, Wales 

and  United  States,  131, 132- 

Organisation  of,  148. 

Wealth  of,  91. 
Churchill,  Randolph,  86. 
Citations,  Statute  of,  94. 
Civil  War  in  America,  207. 
Clapp.  Z.  E.,  231. 
Clarkson,  W.  F.,  134- 
Clayton,  267. 
Clifford,  Dr.  John.  310. 
Clink  Prison,  61. 
Clyfton,  Richard,  64. 
Colleges,  69,  131,  132. 

Combining,  159,  160. 
College,  Harvard,  259. 
Collier,  Jeremy,  267. 
Colliers'  Rents,  235. 
Colonies,  English,  65,  66. 
Committee,  Standing,  152. 
Commonwealth,  25,  67. 
Conder,  George  William,  268. 
Conder,    Dr.    E.  R.,  3' 7.   322, 

323.  325- 
Confession,  Augsburg,  217, 
Burial  Hill,  209-212. 
Heidelberg.  217. 
Savoy.      185-187.      190   197 

200,  202.  206. 
Westminster.    184-186. 
195.  196.  200.202.  203. 
Confessions  of   Faith,  29. 

180,  181. 
Congregationalism,  67,  68      _ 
In  Great  Britain,  Modern,  58 
67.  71. 


190. 
216. 
179. 

73- 


338 


INDEX. 


{Congi'cgationalisni — cont'd^ 
In  United  States,  71,  72. 
Progressive    and    Conserva- 
tive, 143. 
Strength  of  English,  165. 
Weakness  of  English,    161- 
164. 
Congregationalist    Churc  h  e  s. 
Work  of,  133,  134. 
Conditions  for   Membership, 

233- 
Salaries  of  Ministers,  139. 
Denomination,  179, 
Union,    307 ;     of    Cheshire, 
308 ;  of  Staffordshire,  307  ; 
Creed  of,  29,  187-191,  197, 
198;      of     England     and 
Wales,   148-150,   166,  170, 
274 ;     of     England      and 
Wales,  Chairman  of,  166, 
167;  Year   Book   of,    131, 
187. 
Congregationalists,  56,  108. 
English,  128. 
Number  of,  130. 
Doctrinal   attitude  of,  early, 
200. 
Connecticut,  72. 
Consciousness  of  Imperial  Re- 
lations, 315-317. 
Consociation,  206. 
Convention  of  Congregational 
Churches,  Northwest,  207. 
Convocation,  183. 

Houses  of,  99,  100. 
Council  Chamber,  184. 
Of  Denominations,  310. 
Fourth  General,  207. 
National,   150,  213,  215,  219. 
Of  Nicaea,  297. 
System,  308. 
Councils,  151. 
County  Union,  146,  148. 
Covenant,  152,  230,232. 
Creed,  Athanasian,  320. 


{Creed — conf/m/cd.) 
Of  1883,  2i6. 

Of  National  Council, 219-22:^. 
Creeds   and  Confessions,   154, 
169. 
Formulated,  46. 
Of  Christendom,  196. 
Pilgrim,  219. 
Cromwell,   28,   30.   31,    56-58, 
66,  78,  126,  185,  186,  256- 
259,  298. 
Chrysostom,  251-253. 

Dale,  Bryan,  27,  156. 

Robert  W.,  16,  18,22,24,26, 
?>7,  112,228,  229,  240,  266, 
275-280,  283,  285,  290,  292, 
323,326. 

Darlow,  T.  Herbert,  163,  164. 

Davis,  W.  H.,  230. 

Davison,  W.  T.,  302. 

Deacons,  12,  19,  27,  28. 

Dean,  Forest  of,  312,  313. 

Deans,  99. 

Decretals,  93. 

Defender  of  Peace,  49. 

Democracy  in  Church  Polity,  73. 

Dexter,  Henry  M.,  22,  230. 

Dilke,  Sir  Charles,  312,  313. 

Disendowment,  329. 

Dissenters.    97,   118,   125,   129, 
158,  266,  284,  329. 

Dissenting  Churches,  131. 
Ministers,  255. 

Disestablishment,  115,  118-121, 
129,  285,  328,  329. 

Discipline,  153. 

Doctrines,  318-320,  326-329. 

Doctrinal  Schedules   in    Trust 
Deeds,  154,  155. 

Doctrinal    Tests,   25. 

Conditions  of  Church  Mem- 
bership, 225-248. 

Doddridge,  Philip,  25,  259,  263, 
264. 


INDEX. 


539 


Dods.  Marcus,  301. 
Dorner,  Isaac  A.,  305. 
Driver,  Canon,  281.  301. 
Duff,  Archibald,  292,  302,325. 
Dunbar,  Battle  of,  31. 
Durham,  106. 

Ecclesiastical  Court,  90. 

Council.  145. 

Commission,  102,    103. 

Life,  129. 
Edward  Sixth,  Second  Prayer 

Book  of,  95. 
Edwards,  Jonathan,  21,  305. 
Elders,  12. 

Elizabeth,  51,  52.  54,  58.  95. 
Elliot,  Hon.  Arthur,  loi. 
Emancipation  Act,  105. 
Empire,  Religion  of  the,  43. 

Seat  of  tlie,  44. 
Endowments,  1 18. 
Environment,  6,  9,  10.  16. 
I'.piscopal  systems,  162. 

Authority,  45. 

Conditions  for  Mem'ship,233. 
Episcopalians,  29,  nS. 
Episcopate  in  Methodism,  73. 

Historic,  330. 
Episcopacy,  299. 
Episcopius,  256. 
Erastian  Church,  25. 
Establishment,  30,  87,  in,  114 
-116,    127.   160,   163,    266, 
275,283,305. 

Present,  89,  93. 

A  Failure,  108,  163. 
Established  Church,  Evolution 

of,  88-90. 
Ethelbert,  89. 
Evangelical,  214. 
ICvans,  Berber,  292. 

Fairbairn,  A.  M.,  2,3,  13,  19. 
22,  27,  31,  160,  277,  281, 
292,301,302,309,321,325. 


Fairchild,  James  H.,  208. 
Farrar,   Canon,   109,   118,280, 

329- 
Fellowship,   169,  170,  172,  331. 
Fisher,   George   P.,    207,    216, 

218. 
Fiske,  J.  O.,  207. 
Fitchburg,  Church  in,  234. 
Forward  Movement,  the,   134, 

311- 
Forsyth,  P.  T.,  327. 
France,  107,  1 15. 
Fraternal  Complaints,  213, 
Free  Synod,  183, 
Fytz,  Richard,  59,  69. 

Gainsborough,  54,  6^. 
Gale,  Nahum,  207. 
Genevan  Theology,  70. 
Germans,  304,  306. 
Germany,  107. 
Gibbon,  Edward,  2. 
Gibson,  J.  Monroe,  310. 
Gilmour,  the  Missionary,  141. 
Gladstone,  120,  174,  312,313. 
Goodrich,  Dr.,    168,  229,    292. 

3-7- 
Goodwin,  E.  P„  230. 

Thomas,  185,  186. 
Green.  John  Richard,  97. 

Dr.  Thomas,  155,  157.  307. 
Greenhill,  186. 
Greenwood,  John,  60,  61,  69.  77, 

80. 
Gregg,  David,  230. 
Gregory  the  Great,  89,  92. 
Gulliver,  John  P.,  212. 
Guthrie,  Thomas,  254. 

Half-way  Covenant,  72. 
Haiifa.x,  Harbour  of,  306. 
Halley,  Dr.,  268. 
Hamilton,  Dr.  Richard  Winter, 

267. 
Hampden,  John,  182,  183. 


340 


INDEX. 


Handley,  S.  B..  307. 
Harris,  Dr.  John,  267. 

Samuel,  208. 
Harrison,  Josliua,  277. 

Robert,  60. 
Hart,  John  C,  208. 
Harwood,  W.  Hardy,  306. 
Hatch,  Dr.,  251. 
Haven,  Joseph,  208, 
Haweis,  H.  R.,  109. 
Heads   of    Agreement    by   the 

United  Ministers,  308. 
Heath,  A.  H.,  232. 
Hebrews,  1 14. 
Henry  the   Eighth,  51,  S9-95, 

298. 
Hood,  Paxton,  271,  272. 
Hooker,  Richard,  97. 
Hopkins,  Mark,  218. 
Home,  C.  Silvester,  278. 
Horton,  Robert    F.,  229,    277, 

281,  292,  327. 
Howe,  John,  255-257,  259,  265. 
Hubert.  91. 

Hughes,  Hugh  Price,  138. 
Hunter,  John,  267,  277. 

Ince,  305. 

Independency,  Atlas   of   Eng- 
lish, 185. 
In    England,   126,    161,   169, 

170. 
Federated,  171. 
Idea  of,   138,   172,   187,  307, 
328,  330. 
Independent  Theory,  306. 
Independents,  24,  26,  28-31, 
56,  57,   76,   127,   128,   137, 
158,     180,    184,    199,    284, 
299. 
Durmg  Commonwealth,  192. 
India,  315-317. 
International  Council,    18,    35, 

143.  309.  317.  326. 
Ireland,  Home  Rule  for,  120. 


James  First,  54-56. 

James,  John  Angell,   268-269, 

276,  277,  280. 
Jay,  William,  267. 
Jesuits,  17. 
Jewish     Disabilities     Removal 

Act,  105. 
Jews  Admitted  to  Parliament, 

106. 
John,  Griffiths,  141. 
John,  King,  91. 
Johnson,  Francis,  61,  63, 
Johnson,  Dr.  Samuel,  261, 
Jones,  Thomas,  268. 

Kebi.e,  109. 
Kingsley,  109,  254. 
Knox,  John,   50.   55,  iSi,  252. 
Dr.  Vicesimus,  262. 

Labouchere,  Henry,  86. 
Lacordaire,  252. 
Ladd,  H.  M.,  232. 
Lambeth  Conference,  310. 
Lancashire  College,  159,  162. 
Langdon,  Stephen,  91. 
Laud,  Archbishop,  1S5,  258. 
Lawrence,  232. 

E.  A.,  207,  208. 
Laws,  William  C,  141. 
Leader,  128. 
Leeds  Mercury,  128. 
Leyden,  University  of,  255. 
Liberal  Party,  112. 
Liberation  Society,  119. 
Liddon,  Canon,  279,  280. 
Life,  5,  7,  9,  10,  13,  14,  16. 
Liturgy,  183,  184. 
Livingstone,   141. 
Locke,  John,  261. 
London,  135,  159. 
London  Congregational  Union, 
134,  135,  136,  140. 

Missionary  Society,  133,  140. 
141,  142,  150. 


IXDKX. 


341 


(London, — roni!niii-d>\ 

University.  131. 
Lord's  Supper.  106. 

Table.  152. 
Lord  Privy  Seal.  95. 
Luther,  43.  49-  50-  9--  -S~- 

M.VCFADYAN.  Dr..  68. 
>Lickennal,  Dr.  Alex..  167.  277. 

292.  310-  3'3.  3-7.  329- 
Magec.  Dr.,  279. 
Maiiaffy.  Professor,  253. 
Manchester,  98.   159.   lOJ.  310. 
Manor     House    of    Brewster, 

-55- 
^[anst^eld  College,  69,  159,  162, 

301,  309. 
Marlborough,  Duke  of,  86. 
Marsiglio,  John,  49,  50. 
Martin,  Samuel,  267-270,  275. 
Martineau,  James,  329. 
Mary,  Queen,  51,  95.  1 

Massillon,  250. 
Mather,  Cotton,  233. 
Maurice,   J.   F.   D.,    109,   254, 

273,  280,  305. 
McAU,   Robert   S.,    266,    269, 

276. 
McKenzie,  Alexander,  231. 
McLaren,  Dr.  A.  282,  310. 
McLeod,  Norman,  254,  326. 
Mearns,  Andrew,  1.34-136. 
Medhurst.  Walter  H.,  141. 
Mellon,  Enoch.  267. 
Membership.  Church,  41,  151- 
153,  169,  229,  230. 
Conditions  of,  225-248. 
Memorial  Hall,  135. 
Meredith,  R.  R.,  231. 
Methodism,  70,  130. 
Methodist  Conditions  for  Mem- 
bership, 233. 
Methodists,  112. 
Miall,  Edward,  284,  328,  329. 


Milman,  Henry  Hart,  88. 
Ministry,    One    Man,   163,  164, 
168. 

Methods  of  Entering,  144, 

Training  for,  144. 
Ministers'  Fraternal  Union.  146. 
Ministerial  Standing,  how  Cer- 
tified. 146,  147  . 
Mint  District,  135. 
Missionary  Work    in    London, 

138. 
Home,  133.  134.  139.  '40- 
Moffat,  the  Missionary,  141. 
Moody,  Dwight  L.,  287. 
Morlev,  John,  86. 
Morris.  A.  J..  268. 
Mosheim,  J.  L.,  2. 
Mozlev,  James  B.,  305. 
Mulfo'rd,  EHsha,  32. 
Munger,  T.  T.,  231. 
Mystics,  56. 

National  Council  of  the  Uni- 
ted States,  149,  166,  167, 
Nestorius,  17. 
New  College,  162. 
Colonies.  165. 
England.  202. 

Hampshire  Confession,  181. 
Newcastle,  98. 
Newman,    John    Henry,    118. 

254,  281,  282. 
Newspapers,  127,  128. 
Xineteoith    Century     Rrvu-ai, 

161. 
Noble,  F.  A.,  230. 
Nonconformist     Ministers,    87, 

129,  130. 
Nonconformists,   67,    69,    iii- 
113,    118,     119,    127,    128, 
159,  166,  172,  184. 
"  Nonconformist   Conscience," 

312.  3'3-  315- 
Noyes,  Daniel  J.,  207. 
Nve,  Phihp,  185,  186. 


343 


INDEX. 


Oberlin,  213,  214,  216,  222, 

236. 
Officers  of  Early  Church,  12. 
Organisation,  6,  9. 

Ecclesiastical,  172. 
Owen,  John,  186,  255,  257,  258, 

265. 
Oxford,  106,  158,  160,  301,  309. 

Parish,  the  Larger,  168. 

Park,  Edwards  A.,  208,  305. 

Parker,  Dr.  Joseph,    167,  229, 
278,  279,  280,  306,  326,  327. 

Park  Street  Church,  234. 

Parks,  Sir  Henry,  316. 

Parliament,  86,  117,  182. 
Acts  of,  93-99. 
The  Long,  55. 

Parliamentary  Forces,  57. 

Parnell,  Charles  S.,  312. 

Parsons,  Edward,  268. 

Parsons,  James,  267,  268,  270. 

Pastors,  12,  287. 

Patronage,  103. 

Pearson,  Samuel,  292,  327. 

Penny  Dinner,  135, 

Penry,  John,  61-63,  69,  11  ■ 

Peter,  Primacy  of,  44. 

Pilgrims,  21,  23,  27,  28,32,  36, 
58,  65,  66,  78,   79,  80,    81, 
127,298,  328,332. 
In  United  States,  71. 

Plymouth,  65,  76,  208,  213,  256. 

Poor  Relief.  135. 

Pope,  The  Head  of  the  English 
Church,  51. 

Porter,  Noah,  Jr.,  208. 

Presbyterianism,  181,  307,  330. 

Presbyterians,  16,  29,  112,  184. 
Scotch,  182. 

Presbyterian    Church,    Condi- 
tions for  Membership,  232. 
State,  183. 

Presbytery,  30. 

Priesthood,  18. 


Puritanism,  23. 
Puritans,  25,  28,  58,  71. 
Puritans,  Presbyterian,   53,  55, 

65,  66,  75,  80. 
Puritan  Clergy,  183. 
Puritan  Revolution,  30,74,  181, 

190,  205,  298,  314. 
Pusey,    Dr.    Edward    B.,    109, 

280. 
Pym,  John,  182. 

Quakers,  112. 

Oueensberry,  Marquis  of,  86. 

Raffles,  Thomas,  267,  276. 
Raleigh,  Dr.  Alex.,  268. 
Ramea,  Island  of,  63, 
Rationalism,  67. 
Recognition  Service,  146. 
Redford,  Dr.,  198. 
Reed,  Dr.  Andrew,  267,  268. 
Reformation,  48,  loi,  252,  297. 

Under  Henry  YIIL,  93. 
Republican  Theory,  7. 
Restraint  of  Appeals,  Act  for, 

.94- 
Revival,   Evangelical,   67,  200, 

201. 
Rci'/t'tu,     Briiish     Quarto  ly^ 

174. 
Reynolds,  292,  325. 
Rhodes,  Cecil,  316. 
Richard,  Henry,  328,  329. 
Richards,  C.  PL,  231. 
Rippon,  94. 

Rippon,  House  of  Roger,  61. 
Robertson,  109,  254. 
Robinson,  John,  54,  64,  ']'] ,  70, 

80,  332. 
Rogers,  J.  Guinness,  277,  292, 

^  312,  327,  329, 
Rome,  42,  43,  90. 
Rowland,  Thomas,  59,  69. 
Royal  Commissions,  88. 
Royalists,  56. 


INDKX. 


343 


Sacraments,  i8. 
Salem  (Massachusetts),  65. 
Salvation  Army,  135. 
Sanday,  Professor,  281. 
Sankey,  Ira  P..  287. 
Savage,  George  S.  F.,  208. 
Savoy  Confession,  29,  185-187, 

190-197,  200,  202,  206. 
Schaff,  Dr.  Philip,  196. 
Schleiermacher,  305. 
Scotch  Bond.  182. 
Scott,  Principal,  292,  325. 
Scotland,  Doctrinalism  of,  187. 
Scotland,  75,  89,  107,  299,  300. 
Scrooby.  54,  63,  255. 
Seminaries  in  England,  United 

States  and  Wales,  131-132, 
Separatists,  53,  54,  57,  58.  59. 

61,  62,  63,  67,  74,  75.  11' 

81,  126,  255,  299. 
Separation     of     Church      and 

State,  53.  57,  59. 
Sermons,  Tr.ifrtc  in,  116. 
Sheffield  Independent,  128. 
Sherman.  James,  267. 
Sherrill,  F.  H.,  327. 
Simon,  Principal,  292,  317,  318, 

320,  321,  325. 
Simony,   103-104. 
Simpson,  Sidrach,  185. 
Smith,  Henry  B.,  305. 

Pye,  305. 
Smyth,  John,  63. 
South.  Robert.  253. 
Southey,  Dr.  Robert,  262. 
Southwark,  54,  61. 
Southwell,  98. 
Sparke,  Bishop  of  Ely,  102. 
Speculation  in  England,  137. 
Spurgeon,  C.  H.,  253,  254,  270, 

278,  282,  302. 
Thomas  11.,  316. 
Stanley.  Dean,  17,  97,  109,  174. 
State,  The,  4,  6,  7,  9,  10. 
Supremacy  of.  48. 


{State — continued.) 

Theocratic,  1 14. 

And  the  Church,  83-121. 
St.  Albans,  98. 

St.  Louis  (Missouri).  216,  222. 
Stead,  F.  H,,  327. 
Stimson,  H.  A.,  232. 
Siorrs,  Dr.  R.  S.,  2i8,  231,  271. 

272. 
Stoughtun,  Dr.  John,  182,  196, 

197.  I9«- 
Students   in   England,    United 
States  and  Wales,  131-132. 
Stubbs,  Bishop.  93. 
Sunday  Service,  168. 
Supremacy.  Act  of.  52. 
Swain,  Leonard.  208. 
Synod,  Cambridge,  204-205. 

Of  Boston.  204-206. 

Of  Saybrook,  206. 


Taylor,  Jeremv.  253. 

Dr.  W.  M.,  230. 
Tennyson,  319. 
Theology,  Science  of,  300 

Systematic,  318,  321. 
Theological  Agitation  in 
land  and  America,  301 

Colleges,  325. 

Outlook,  317. 

Status,  324. 
Theologians,  Speculative, 

304- 
Thirtv-nine  Articles,  29,  5 

184. 

Thomas,  David,  268.  307. 
Thompson,  Joseph  P.,  207 
Thrall,  J.  B,  231. 
Thwing,  C.  F.,  230. 
Toleration,  20.  67-68,  125 

Act,  105,  283, 
Toynbee  Hall,  136. 
Truro,  98. 
Trust    Deeds,    155,    156, 

180,  198,  222. 


.3iS. 

E  ng- 
02. 


=:.  59. 


•57. 


344 


INDEX. 


Ulfilas,  17. 

Uniformity,  Act  of,  52,  58,  95, 
96. 

Of  Worship,  11 1. 
Union,  Baptist,  310. 

County,  150,  151. 
Unitarians,  112,  147,   14S,   156, 

234- 

Unitarian     Controversy,     233, 

235- 
Unitarianism,  67,  75,  261,  327. 
United  College,  159. 
United   States,    107,  151,   156 
165. 
Religious  Life  in  the,  125. 
Unity,  13,  15, 

University  of  Aberdeen,  264. 
Dutch,  259. 
Of  Oxford,  300. 
Tests,  Abolition  of,  106. 
Universities,    69,   87,   112,  144, 
158,  255,309. 

Vane,  Sir  Harry,  57,  182,  186. 
Vaughan,  Dr.,  267. 
Virgin,  Dr.  S.  H.,  231. 
Virginia,  65. 

Voluntary  Principle  in  Amer- 
ica, 115. 
System,  118. 


Vose,  J.  G.,  232. 

Wage,  305. 
Wakefield,  98. 
Wales,  88-89. 

Prince  of,  313,  314,  315, 
Walker,  George  F.,  231. 
Wardlaw,  Ralph,  305. 
Watts,  Isaac,  259-265. 
Weiss,  305. 
Wesley,  John,  67,  69,  200,  259, 

262,  283. 
Wesleyans,  112,  130. 
Westminster    Assembly.  57. 

Confession,  29,  73. 
White,  Edward,  277. 
Whitefield,  George,  67,  69,  200, 

259,  262,  283. 
Whitgift,  Archbishop,  62. 
Williams,  Carvell,  284. 

John,  141. 

Roger,  66,  76. 
Witenagemot,  90. 
Worcester,  Dr.,  234. 
Wycliffe,  John,  50,  91,  252. 

Xavier,  Francis,  17. 

York,  Archbishop  of,  99,  102. 
Yorkshire  Union,  156, 


"  Opens  up  a  (dttral  ana  to  many  unknown  li  iilh — admiral' fy  ait  J 
unanswerably.  The  Church  is  full  of  Ephesian  Christians,  zi</to 
'  have  not  so  much  as  heard  whether  there  be  any  Holy  Ghost.'  " — 
Lyman  Abbott,  D.D. 


SPIRIT    AND    LIFE. 

THOUGHTS  FOR  TO-DAY. 

BY 

AMORY    H.   13RA.DFORD,  D.D., 

First  Cotigyes<^t  tonal  Church,  Montclair.  N.J. 

Contents  :  The  Holy  Spirit  the  Fundamental  Doctrine  of 
Christianity ;  The  Holy  Spirit  in  Individual  Experience ;  The 
Holy  Spirit  and  Christian  IVork  ;  The  Holy  Spirit  a  Constant  Fac- 
tor in  the  Problem  of  Progress ;  Conditions  of  Spiritual  Si^^ht  ; 
Theological  Thought  of  Our  Time;  The  Incarnation  ;  The  Vicari- 
ous Priiuiple  in  the  Universe;  The  Appeal  to  Experience ;  The 
Life  the  Light  of  Men  ;   The  Invisible  Realm  ;  The  Endless  Gro-wlh. 


"  In  the  flood  of  this  kind  of  litera- 
ture, it  is  a  pleasure  to  find  one  book 

which  deserves  the  printing 

Those  who  have  heard  I>r.  Bradford 
preach  need  not  be  told  of  the  intellect 
and  spiritual  vigor  which  these  ser- 
mons show.  .  .  .  Will  give  light 
and  life  to  the  minds  and  spirits  of 
those  who  read  it." — The  Christian 
ln.]uirtr  (Baptist),  N.  Y. 

'"Well-nigh  unequaled  work  upon 
his  high  theme.  ...  If  a  student 
will  glance  at  the  bound  volumes  of  the 
Bibliotheca  Sacra,  during  its  first  fifty 
years,  he  will  be  astonished  to  find  with 
what  completeness  this  subject  of  the 
Third  Person  of  the  Trinity  has  been 
let  alone.  .  .  .  The  sermons  here 
are  strong  and  vital  and  of  permanent 
value."—  The  Golden  Rule  (Cong.), 
Boston. 

"Dr.  Bradford's  reverent  spirit,  in- 
tellectual independence  and  pure  tastes 
have  rendered  his  writings  very  agree- 
able and  profitable  to  me.  ...  I 
shall  feel  that  I  am  doing  my  friends  a 
favor  by  commending  it  [his  "  Spirit 
and  LifeJ  to  their  attention."  — 
Charles  F.  Dee.ms,  D.D.,  Pastor, 
Church  of  the  Strangers,  N.  Y. 


"  Eloquent  and  thoughtful,  singu- 
larly free  from  cant,  and  altogether 
outside  of  theordinary  theological  rut." 
— Xtu'S  and  Courier,  Charleston,  S.  C. 

"The  best  phase  of  current  Christ- 
ianity. .  .  .  Not  controversial,  but 
in  sympathy  with  progressive  theology 
and  the  best  modern  thought."—  Provi- 
dence Journal. 

"  Have  directness  and  point.  .  .  . 
Sympathetic  and  helpful  in  character." 
— Boston  Tra  n script. 

"Dr.  Bradford  belongs  to  that  in- 
creasing class  of  clergymen  whose 
teaching  defies  the  scientific  classifier, 
because  it  takes  on  such  a  new  form 
and  is  so  thoroughly  the  outgrowth  of 
his  own  personal  experience.  .  .  . 
Without  a  common  understanding  or  a 
common  symbol,  this  modern  school  of 
thinkers  are  all  agreed  in  giving  great 
prominence  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
divine  immanence  in  nature  and  in 
human  experience.  .  .  .  We  com- 
mend his  volume  heartily  to  those  of 
our  readers  who  desire  to  get  an  appre- 
ciative and  wholly  uncontroversial  in- 
terpretation of  the  Bible  which  God  is 
writing  continuously  inhumanheaits." 
—  The  Christian  Union,  N.  V. 


1  Vol,    liimo,  266 pages,  VeUum  Clofh,  $1. 


Sold  by  all  Booksellers,  or  mailed  to  any  address,  on  receipt  of 
the  price  by  the  Publishers. 


FORDS,    HOWARD,   &    HULBERT, 
47  East  Tenth  St.,  Atji-  York. 


"  A  power  of  thought  enabling  him  to  grapple  with  the  most  difficult  sub- 
jects with  no  ordinary  skill ;  a  power  of  expression  which  crystallizes  his  ideas 
into  the  most  incisive  and  vigorous  phrase." — Leicester  {Etig.)  Post,  in  a  notice 
o/"  Dr.  Bradford  as  one  oy  t/ie  Delegates  to  the  International  Co>ig7-egationat 
Con/eretice,  1891. 

OLD  WINE:    NEW  BOTTLES. 

Some  Elemental  Doctrines 
{?i  Modern  Form. 

By  AMORY  H.  BRADFORD,  D.D. 

First  Congregational  Church,  Montc/air,  N.  J.;  Author  of  "  Spirit 

and  Life,''  etc. 

White  Leatherette,  35  Cents. 


Four  discourses,  on  "  The  Living  God;"  "  The  Holy  Trinity;" 
"  What  is  Left  of  the  Bible;"  "The  Immortal  Life."  The  ser- 
mons were  delivered  during  Lent  and  on  Easter  Sunday,  1892, 
the  topics  selected  as  being  essential — or,  as  Dr.  Bradford 
phrases  it,  elemental — in  Christianity. 

This  preacher  is  one  of  the  men  of  the  day,  in  that  he  does 
not  insist  on  the  old  bottles  of  formulation  which  are  being  so 
sadly  rent  by  the  new  spirit  of  inquiry,  but  rather  prefers  to 
conserve  what  he  thinks  to  be  the  beliefs  necessary  to  Christian 
thought  and  life  as  found  in  the  Scriptures,  by  putting  them  into 
the  forms  compelled  by  modern  thought  and  the  experience  of 
mankind. 


"  Dr.  Bradford  is  one  of  the  best  ex- 
ponents, in  a  practical  way,  of  the 
modern  spirit  sometimes  miscalled 
New  Theology.  He  does  not  e.x- 
pound  theology  ;  he  is  a  preacher  of 
righteousness.  He  does  not  construct 
bottles;  he  brings  wine  to  thirsty 
souls.  .  .  .  The  volume  is  to  be  com- 
mended alike  for  its  candor,  its  rea- 
sonableness, and  its  perception  of, 
and  ministry  to,  spiritual  needs." — 
Christian  Union,  New  York. 

"  These  subjects  are  handled  by 
Dr.  Bradford  in  his  fearless,  frank 
and  serene  manner,  and  always  with 
a  hopeful  attitude  toward  the  thought 
and  speculation  of  the  present  day. 
.  .  .  Superb  and  eloquent  assertions 
and  definitions  of  the  common  faith." 
—  Independent.  New  York. 

"In  the  writer  of  this  pamphlet 
we  have  an  eloquent  preacher,  and 
in  the  four  discourses  these  pages 
contain  we  find  a  frank  acceptance 
ol  what  science  has  demonstrated 
combined  with  a  bold  and  earnest 


proclamation  of  the  convictions  mod- 
ern thought  and  experience  hav^e  pro- 
duced on  an  intense  but  open-minded 
nature.  .  .  .  Lofty  spiritual  teaching 
enforced  in  a  tit  eloquence  all  the 
nobler  because  free  of  narrowness, 
enriched  by  wide  reading  and  en- 
forced by  a  clear,  sound  and  reveren- 
tial mind."— T'/ii'  Modern  Church, 
Glasgow,  Scotland. 

"  Four  admirable  discourses  of 
practical  Christian  doctrine.  .  .  . 
Models  of  conciseness  and  lucidity." 
— Newark  QN.  J.)  Advertiser. 

"Quite  suggestive  of  some  of  Pro- 
fessor Drummond's  best  works,  the 
style  is  effective  and  attractive,  and 
it  well  deserves  the  commendation 
given  by  another  :  '  It  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  find  more  good  sense,  sound 
morality  and  lofty  spiritual  teaching 
than  are  condensed  in  this  little  book.' 
It  deserves  a  wide  circulation,  and  is 
just  the  book  to  put  in  the  hands  of  a 
friend."— /"/^iJ/iV  Opinion,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C. 


FORDS,    HOWARD,  &  HULBERT, 
47  East  Tenth  St.,  New  York. 


Wotablc  au6  Knteicstfno  IRelloious  iSooks. 


Signs  of  Promise. 

Sermons  Preached  in  Plymouth  Church,  Brooklyn,  1887-1889. 

By  LVMAN  ABBOrr,   D.D. 

Eiyhttin    IHscoiir.irs.     I'itno,  clotli,  i/iU  tup,     I' vice,  $1.50. 

"  'Signs  of  Promise'  is  tho  tit  title  of  the  first  volume  of  sermons 
preached  in  I'lyniouth  Pulpit  since  its  greatest  occupant  passed  from 
earth.  By  all  logical  and  intellectual  inheritance,  that  pulpit  is  now 
worthily  filled.  .  .  .  The  Plymouth  preacher  of  to-day  shows  us 
that  God  is,  and  not  merely  that  he  was.  His  words  thrill  with  the 
currents  of  hope  born  of  a  survey  of  the  past  and  making  contact  with 

the  unseen  future All  of  these  sermons  are  strong,  helpful  and 

suggestive,  and  reveal  the  true  prophet." —  77ie  Critic,  New  York. 

'  Clear  and   compact,   and    palpitate    |    thor"s  theology;  one  may  be  a  Buddhist 


with  the  influences  of  the  time.  .  .  .  One 
cannot  read  these  sermons  without  be- 
ing impressed  with  the  ability  v.iih 
which  the  .subjects  arc  handled,  and 
with  many  ^lnv.ititc  passages  which  are 
emintntl,-  spiiitual  and  uplifting."- 
Christia'n  hitfili.iciiLL'-,  New  York. 

■'  One  of  the  favorite  assertions  of  that 
supremely  irritating  created  thing,  the 
intidel  who  has  not  sufficient  strength  of 
mind  tc)  believe  in  aught  but  himself,  is 
that  Christianity  is  behind  the  times,  is 
incapable  of  grappling  with  the  prob- 
lems of  every-day  life,  and,  indeed, 
blinds  itself  to  their  existence;  and  as 
this  kind  of  infidel  is  common,  and  his 
cuckoo  cr>-  is  all  but  continuous,  it  is  a 
pleasure  now  and  then  to  encounter  a 
volume  of  sermons  showing  the  keenest 
sensitiveness  to  current  topics  of  inter- 
est.   One  need  not  agree  with  the  au- 


or  a  Mch.-mn^.ed:^n  .nd  yet  enjoy  the 
manner  i;i  which  such  an  one  will  at- 
tack anil  rout  this  species  of  infidel.'" — 
I'pstoii  !l,)nlii. 

"  Dr.  Abbott  is  no  copyist,  but  a  man 
strong  in  his  own  peculiar  i-owers  ai.d 
gifts." — C/.ristian  K.ght,  >■. 

"  Full  of  earnest  and  vigorous  thought 
and  are  eminently  stimulating.  Even 
those  who  do  not  altogether  agree  with 
the  author's  lheol)gical  positions  will 
fird  much  to  be  admired  here  and  little 
to  De  ccndL-mned." — Congret^atioi'dlht. 

"A  clew  t  J  Dr.  Abb  :tt's  Beecher-like 
reception  of  all  revelation,  in  Scripture 
nature  or  l)f;-,  and  to  his  ability  to  keep 
abreast  with  the  streara  of  such  revela- 
tion as  it  widens  continually  between 
the  opposite  but  not  opposing  banks 
of   theology   and    science." — Srocklyr 


Spirit  and  Life. 

Thoughts    for    To-Day. 
By    AMORY    H.    BRADFORD,    D.D., 

l-'irst  Cong.  Church,  Motttclair,  M.  J. 
Twelve  Discourses.     lOino,  vellutii  cloth      Price,  $1.00. 

"It  is  evident  to  the  laical  mind  that  a  certain  tender,  serious,  hu- 
mane spirit  possesses  men  of  this  class,  urging  them  to  work  for  the 
good  of  man  and  the  glory  of  God  in  nobler  f:ishion,  broader  ways,  than 
purely  metaphysicil  schemes  can  ever  hope  to  instigate  "—  Boston  Post. 

"We  commend  his  volume  heartily  to 
tlmse  of  our  readers  who  desire  to  get 
an  appreci-Uive  and  wholly  uncontro- 
versial  interpretation  of  the  Bible  which 
God  is  writing  continuously  in  hum.m 
hearts."— /'/;<•  Christian   Union.  N.  V. 

'■  Rarely  has  there  been  published  in 
this  country  a  finer  volume  of  sermons, 
of  sermons  more  worthy  of  publication. 


or  better  fitted  to  be  of  actual  helpful- 
ness to  Christian  thought  and  the  spirit 
ual  life.'  —'I't.e  Atliatue,  Chicago. 

"  The  best  m<xlern  preaching  deals 
with  spiritual  wants  and  vital  truths. 
Judged  by  this  test,  the  sermons  before 
us  are  worthy  to  be  classed  among  the 
best  sermons  of  the  day."— AV^u  I:-n^- 
/an,itr  and   Yate  Rcz'iiW. 


FORDS,   HOWARD,   &  HULBERT, 

■i;  Kast  I'lntli   SI.,  yen-  loth. 


■'  Here  is  a  clear,  cogent  presenfation  of  those  7'iews  'vJiich  are  of 
the  progressive  type  of  theology.  It  is  a  book  of  the  day." — Public 
Opinion,  Washington,  D.  C. 


UNTO    THE   UTTERMOST. 


jam:es  :m:.  canipbell. 


Contents:  Unto  the  Uttermost;  A  Castaway  Reclaimed ;  Grace 
Conquering  iVature ;  A  Pessimisiic  View  of  the  Moral  Condition 
of  Man ;  The  Limits  of  Evolution ;  Moral  Miracles ;  The 
Higher  Environment ;  The  Universality  of  the  Divine  Purpose  of 
A'edefnption ;  The  Forthputting  of  Rede?nptive  Effort  a  Necessity 
of  the  Divine  Nature ;  The  Sin  that  Shuts  the  Door  of  Mercy  ; 
The  Chief  Danger-point ;  The  Fluidity  of  Character ;  Judicial 
Blindmss ;  A  Common  Spiutual  Disease  ;  Past  Feeling ;  Barter- 
ing the  Birthright ;    Death  a  Loss ;     The  Finality  of  the  Present. 


"Mr.  Campbell  stands  firmly  by 
the  Bible,  but  uses  it  with  breadth  and 
freedom  of  interpretation.  .  .  They 
\_i.e.,  the  essays  which  make  up  the 
book]  fall  wholly  within  the  lines  of 
orthodoxy,  for  which  indeed  they 
make  a  stout  and  in  some  respects 
original  defense,  and  are  a  valuable 
contribution  to  the  questions  of  the 
times." — The  Independent. 

"Composed  of  chapters  which  are 
suggestive,  full  of  hints,  and  notable 
especially  for  their  spiritual  exegesis, 
their  inlook  into  texts,  and  the  dis- 
covery of  the  real  and  deeper  meaning 
of  Scripture.  .  .  More  than  usually 
worth  reading  by  the  fireside  or  as  a 
means  of  spiritual  quickening  in  the 
pastor's  study." — Christian  Union. 

"  This  book  carries  in  it  the  reason 
for  its  being.  Its  matter  is  e.xcellent. 
The  style  is  trenchant.  The  points 
project  themselves  so  conspicuously 
that  you  find  them,  and  they  find  you. 
The  author  is  no  '  picker  up  of  uncon- 
sidered trifles.'  It  is  such  a  volume 
as  a  thinker  upon  religious  matters 
would  like  to  have  witn  him  in  the 
cars.  It  is  decidedly  stimulating."— 
The  Golden  Rule. 

"  There  is  not  a  dull  line.  Truth 
that  is  old  and  familiar  is  exhibited 
with  a  new  luster  glorifying  its  face. 
.    .    .    It  is  altogether  too  rarely  that 


one  comes  on  a  volume  from  which  he 
realizes  both  a  distinct  mental  stimu- 
lus and  a  devotional  glow.  It  is  par- 
ticularly because  of  this  double  office 
it  performs  that  Mr.  Campbell's  book 
will  find  a  welcome  place  on  the  study- 
table." —  The  Northwestern  Cotigre- 
gationalist. 

"  Packed  with  truth  eloquently  ut- 
tered. Certainly  the  book  is  vig- 
orous."—  The  Evangelist,  N.  V. 

"  New,  thoughtful,  healthful  inter- 
pretations are  given,  which  give  new 
light." — Christian   Inguirer,    N.    V. 

"Discourses  of  remarkable  clear- 
ness upon  living  themes  about  which 
the  Christian  world  is  at  this  time 
doing  much  thinking." — Chicago 
Ifitcr-Ocean. 

"  Full  of  the  fire  of  conviction." — 
Evening  Wisconsin. 

"The  book  has  many  bright  and 
true  things." — New  York  Observer. 

"A  new  work  which  is  attracting 
considerable  attention  in  theological 
circles.  .  .  .  Brings  some  fresh 
thinking  to  bear  on  important  sub- 
jects."—  The  Universalist,  Chicago. 

"It  is  a  book  tha't  it  profits  one  to 
read,  and  to  read  carefully  and  studi- 
ously. There  is  many  a  sentence  full 
of  suggestive  thought.  It  will  stimu- 
late the  Christian  thinker." — Public 
Opinion. 


1  Vol.     IGmo,  254  pages,  Vellum  Cloth,  $1.25. 

Sold  by  all  Booksellers,  or  7nailed  to  atty  address,  on  receipt 


>(  ptice. 


FORDS,   HOWARD,   &   HULBERT, 
47  East  Tenth  St.,  Neiv  York. 


"  A  prophet  foretells  .  .  .  because  he  sees  more  clearly 
than  his  fellows  the  nature  of  truth,  the  movements  of  Provi- 
dence, and  so  the  tendencies  and  probable  fruition  of  events. 
Of  these  principles  a  remarkable  and  interesting  illustration  is 
[here]  afforded.  .  .  These  sermons  to  a  considerable  extent 
anticipate  the  results  of  modern  criticism,  and. at  the  same  time 
indicate  the  method  in  which  those  results  can  be  practically  em- 
ployed .  .  .for  spiritual  ends." — Lyma.n  Abbott,  EJiioual 
in  the  Christian  Union. 


BEECHER'S    BIBLE   STUDIES. 

1878-1879. 

Readings  in  the  Early  Books  of  the  Old  Testament  (Genesis  to  Rnth^, 
'luith  Familiar  Comment.  Prefactd  by  tivo  characteristic  ser- 
mons :  "The  Inspiration  of  the  Bible"  and  "^  How  to  Read 
the  Bible."    By  HENRY    WARD    BEECHER. 

Edited,  from  Stenographic  Notes  of  T.  J.  EllINWOOD,  by 
John  R.  Howard.    438//.    Zvo.     Garnet  cloth,  %\.<-^o. 


"  One  of  the  very  best  works  which 
has  ever  come  from  Mr.  Beecher's 
fertile  brain.  It  is  learned  enough  for 
the  scholar,  and  popular  enough  for 
the  layman.  .  .  Its  spirit  is  reverent 
and  devotional,  and  it  is  distinctly 
positive  and  constructive  in  its  meth- 
od."—A.mory  H.  Bradford,  D.D., 
First  Cong.  Church,  .Montclair,  N.J. 

"  Models  of  clear,  vigorous  and  in- 
structive exposition.  .  .  The  dry 
bones  of  the  old  days  of  Israel  have  a 
living  soul  given  to  them  by  this  rare 
preacher.  .  .  The  book  is  admira- 
bly compiled." — Rev.  Almo.v  Gln.ni- 
so.v,  M'orcester,  Mass.  (Universalist). 

"  I  do  not  regard  Mr.  Beecher  as  an 
authority  in  theology  or  creed-state- 
ment, but  I  do  regard  him  as  an  au- 
thority in  the  ethical  interpretation  of 
the  Bible.  .  .  Marked  by  his  char- 
acteristic insight,  freshness,  good 
sense  and  spiritual  robustness." — Geo. 
Da.s-a  Board.man,  D.D.,  First  Baptist 
Church,  Phila. 

"His  elevation  of  thought,  his  kind- 
ly humor,  his  unexpected  flashing  wit, 
his  deep  devotion,  his  keen  practical 
sense,  his  philosophic  analysis  of  char- 
acter, his  helpful  ethical  instruction, 
his  lofty  and  impressive  eloquence, 
have  constant  themes.  It  is  many  a 
day  since  so  suggestive  and  stimu- 
lating a  volume  has  appeared." — 
Brooktyn  Citizen. 

"  As  rich  in  vital  thought,  fresh  sug- 
gestion and  poetic  entertainment  of 
the  oldest  themes  of  human  interest 
as  any  preceding  one  by  its  author," — 
Brooklyn  Eagle. 


"  A  great  •  real  to  me.  .  ,  A  mind 
perfectly  free,  and  perfectly  devout, 
IS  rara  avis,  and  its  genuine  heart- 
felt reflections  on  the  ancient  Scrip- 
tures must  carry  valuable  help  to 
thoughtful  men  and  women."— Chas. 
H.  IlALL,  D.D.,  Rector  Church  of  the 
Holy  Trinity,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

"An  admirable  presentation  of  the 
facts  of  ancient  Hebrew  history  in  the 
light  of  modern  ideas." — Pres.  Wm. 
DiiW.  Hyde,  Bo-vctom  College. 

"It  is  bright  with  the  light  of  his 
genius,  warm  with  the  love  of  his 
great  heart,  and  altogether  admirable 
reading  for  our  times.  V'ou  have  done 
a  worthy  service  to  all  students  of  the 
Bible  by  the  publication  of  these  inim- 
itable Readings." — Geo.  A.  Gordon, 
D.D.,    Old    South    Church,    Bostcn. 

"  Henry  Ward  Beecher  was  a  re- 
markable expositor  of  the  Bible  .  .  . 
in  a  peculiar  sense  a  prophet  of  mod- 
ern religious  tendencies.  .  .  Rare 
insight  and  luminous  candor." — New 
York  Tribune. 

"Insight,  sanity,  spiritual  sympathy, 
profound  faith  in  God,  and  contempt 
for  the  pettiness  of  cloister  commen- 
tators."— Literary  ll'orlil,  Boston. 

"  He  had  a  rare  faculty  of  stripping 
a  difficult  subject  of  technical  and 
scholastic  rubbish.  I  wish  the  first 
two  discourses,  on  '  Inspiration'  and 
'  Reading  the  Bible,'  might  be  in  the 
hands  of  every  Bible  reader.  .  .  . 
Commend  themselves  alike  to  common 
sense  and  scholarly  sense."— Pkof. 
Marvin  R.  Vince.vt,  Union  Theotogi- 
cat  Seminary,  Neiu  York. 


FORDS,   HOWARD,   &   HULBERT, 

■<?  lUist  Tenth  .St.,  A'cie  Xork. 


PLYMOUTH  PULPIT  SERMONS 


HENRY  WARD  BEECHER 

Four  Volumes,  covering  the  period  from  Sept.  1873  to  Sept.  1875. 

About  too  pp.  each,  Garnet  Cloth,  %\.^o per  vol. 


"The  late  HENRY  WARD  BEECHER  was,  take  him  all 
in  ail,  the  most  remarl<able  preacher  and  orator  of  this  gener- 
ation. His  fertility  of  mind  was  inexhaustible.  The  publish- 
ers have  rendered  a  public  service  in  reprinting  in  a  convenient 
form  these  sermons.  .  .  .  Printed  on  good  paper  and  in 
good  type,  they  are  issued  at  a  price  which  will  put  them 
within  the  reach  of  hundreds  of  young  ministers  and  thous- 
ands of  laymen,  who  retain  their  relish  for  original  and  vigorous 
thought  presented  with  fervid  eloquence." — A'czo  York 
Evangelist. 


Vol,  I. — Religion  in  Daily  Life  ;  Forclookings  ;  Heroism  ;  Nczv  Testa 
tncnt  TIteory  of  Evolution  ;  The  AtoningGod :  Frayci- ;  Man's  Two  Natures  ; 
Atl-Sidedness  in  Christian  Life  :  Fact  and  Fancy  ;  Cuba  ;  J\Ioral  Tcachingof 
Suffering;  Ho7u  Goes  the  Battle  ?  Nature  of  Christ  :  Working  and  Waiting ; 
What  is  Christ  to  Me?  Science  of  Right  Living ;  Religious  Constancy  ;  Soul 
Pmsierj  Riches  of  God  ;  St,  Paul's  Creed  ;  The  Departed  Christ ;  Naturalness 
of  Faith  ;  Spiritual  Manhood ;  The  Debt  of  Strength  ;  Special  Providence  ; 
Keeping  the  Faith. 

Vol.  II. — Charles  Sumner;  Saz'cd  by  Hope;  The  Primacy  of  Love ; 
Foretokens  of  Resurrection  ;  Summer  in  the  Soul;  Hindering  Christianity ; 
Soul-Relationship ;  Christian  Joyfulncss ;  Liberty  in  the  Churches;  The 
Temperance  Question  ;  God'^s  Grace;  Ideal  Christianity :  Problem  of  Life ; 
Unjust  fudgments ;  Immortality  of  Good  Works;  The  Universal  Heart  of 
God;  Delight  of  Self-Sacrifice ;  Truth  Speaking;  The  Secret  of  the  Cross  ; 
Resolving  and  Doin^;  Triumph  of  Goodness ;  Following  Christ ;  Prayer  and 
Providence;  What  is  Religion  f  Christian  Sympathy  ;  Luminous  Hours. 

Vol.  III. — Law  and  Liberty  ;  Faint-Heartedness ;  As  a  Little  Child ; 
God's  Will;  Prese}it  use  of  Immortality ;  The  'Test  of  Church  Worth;  Peace 
inChrist;  The  Indwelling  of  Christ ;  The  End  and  the  Means  ;  Saved  bv  Grace; 
Soul-Rest;  The  World's  Growth;  Foundation  Work;  The  Bible;  The  Work 
of  Patience  ;  Divine  Love  ;  Unworthy  Pursuits  ;  True  Righteousness  ;  Things 
cf  the  Spirit;  Christian  Contentment ;  Moral  Standards;  Trials  of  Faith  i 
Old  Paths;  Meekness,  a  Power  ;  Extent  of  the  Divine  Lazv  ;  Soul-Groivth. 

Vol.  \Y .—Christ  Life;  The  Courtesy  of  Conscience ;  Love,  the  Key  to 
Religion;  Christianity  Social ;  Morality  and  Religion  ;  Law  of  Soul-Growth  : 
Sources  and  Uses  of_  Suffering ;  God's  Dear  Children;  Grieving  the  Spirit; 
Working  and  Waiting :  The  Sure  Foundation  ;  Nurture  of  Noble  Impulse; 
Solving  and  Reaping:  Soul  Statistics;  Secret  oj' Christ's  Power ;  The  Com- 
munion of  Saints;  Christian  Life  a  Struggle  ;  The  Prodigal  Son;  Univer- 
sality of  the  Gospel ;  Economy  in  Small  Things:  Good  Deeds  Memorable ; 
Divine  Indwelling;  Claims  of  the  Spirit:  The  Kingdom  Within;  The  New 
Birth  ;  Perfection  Through  Love. 

RECENT   OPINIONS. 


"They  cover  the  period  of  Mr. 
Beecher's  deepest  trouble,  :873-iS75, 
and  the  period  in  which  his  preaching- 
had  perhaps  the  ripest  thought  and  the 
deepiest  spiritual  life,  .  .  .  the  rip- 
est and  best  portion  of  his  Ini^istr)^" — 
The  Christian  Union. 


"As  one  turns  these  wonderful  pages, 
it  is  hard  to  think  that  the  mind  which 
speaks  through  them  with  such  ever 
fresh  power  to  interest,  and  often  with 
such  tremendous  vitality  and  suasive 
strength,  has  ceased  to  act  on  earth.' 
—  The  Congregationalisi,  Boston. 


FORDS,    HOWARD,   &   HULBERT, 

•k7  East  Tenth  St.,  Sew  York. 


A  BOOK  OF  PRAYER. 

Bv   HENRY   WARD   BEECHER. 
Compiled  from  Unpublished  Notes  of  his  Pulpit  Ministrations, 

By  T.  J.  El M.wvooD, 

Who  was  for  up7vards  of  thirty  years  Mr.  Beccher's  Special  Stenographer . 
^Vith  Portrait.    32010,  Cloth,  75  cts.;  Cloth,  gilt,  $1.00. 


"  It  is  often  declared,  especially  by  tiansient  hearers,  his  prayer  was  more 
than  his  sermon." 

"  The  prayers  published  with  the  sermons  are  as  remarkable  as  the  sermons 
themselves.'' 


The  above  remarks  were  made  by  two  papers,  one  secular, 
one  religious,  when  reviewing  some  of  the  original  volumes  of 
"  Plymouth  Pulpit  Sermons."  .And,  to  persons  accustomed  to 
the  perfunctory  petitions  which  loo  often  arise  in  public  service, 
the  beauty  and  fragrance  of  spirit  shown  in  Mr.  Beecher's  pray- 
ing— as  genuine  a  development  of  his  nature  as  oratory — never 
failed  to  appeal  with  irresisiiblc  attraction.  His  public  prayer 
was  free  ami  delightful  communion  with  his  people  and  with 
God,  and  in  it  he  poured  out  aspiration,  gratitude,  encourage- 
ment, petition,  manly  pride,  humility,  tender  sympathy — what- 
ever  his  prolific  soul  brought  to  bis  lips,  that  could  "raise  the 
fallen,  cheer  the  faint,"  or  help  any  of  his  f^ock  to  better  life  and 
higher  thoughts 


".As  a  treasury  of  suRpestion  to 
ynunp  Christians  who  have  yet  to 
learn  the  n.ituralness  and  ready  help- 
fulness of  prayer,  this  little  book  will 
be  invaluable.  The  brief  introduc 
lion,  compiled  from  various  exposi- 
tions by  .Mr.  Beecher  in  his  lecture- 
room  talks,  will  give  a  new  and  happy 
view  of  prayer  to  many,  while  the 
prayers  themselves  must  prove 
sources  of  strength,  of  comfort,  of 
light,  and  of  radiant  hope  to  any 
thoughtful  reader."'— iE'/Tj'^r/A  Her- 
ald, Chicago. 

"  While  the  spirit  is  simple,  the  Ian 
guage  is  exalted."— r/jt-  Christian 
Ad--oifite.  New  York. 

"  Multitudes  who  have  been  led  to 
the  throne  of  grace  by  the  great 
preacher  will  desire  this  volume,  and 
multitudes  more,  through  the  warm 
spirit  of  devotion  that  breathes  in  its 
pages,  will  pour  out  their  souls  unto 
God."— /7/<'  Golden  Rul,-.  Boston. 

"  Helpful  and  delightful  devotional 
reading.  .  .  .  There  is  throughout 
the  wonderful  variety  of  mood,  of 
thought,  of  illustration  and  of  expres- 
sion characteristic  of  the  man  when  at 
his  hesl.'"  —  Herald  and  Presbyter, 
Cincinnati. 

"A  volume  meriting  careful  study." 
— Boston  Traveller. 


"  Nothing  in  the  collection  is  more 
striking  than  its  simplicity.  .  .  .  The 
play  of  feeling  and  freshness  of  form 
in  them  is  mzx\^\o\xs.'"—t ndcpendent. 
New  York. 

'  His  prayers  were  seldom  perfunc 
tory  or  stereotyped.  More  often  t.'icy 
were  joyous,  trustful  tender,  devo- 
tional outpourings  of  a  great  heart. 
.  .  .  Though  some  of  them  suggest 
local  occasions,  the  most  of  them  are 
fitted  to  the  deeper  wants  of  human- 
ity."—  Christian  Rcg:islcr,  Boston. 

"Aside  from  their  devotional  ex- 
pression there  is  a  versatility  and 
wide  sweep  of  thought  that  no  man 
ever  made  more  impressive  than  did 
Mr.  Beecher."— /«/f>--^iM«,  Chi 
cago. 

'•Well  worthy  of  ptudy  by  minis- 
ters and  laymen."— //V.t/crw  Chns 
tian  Ad-'o.:ate,  Cincinnati 

"  An  admirable  book  for  the  culture 
of  devotion  and  tor  the  development 
of  a  restful  spirit.  .  .  .  We  know  of 
nothing  in  devotional  literature 
which  seems  to  us  more  suited  to 
modem  needs,  the  needs  of  undevout. 
restless,  eager,  self-sufficient  .America, 
than  the  pravers  ami  meditations  of 
Henry  \vard  Beecher."— C4»-«r/a« 
Union,  New  York. 


FORDS,    HOWARD,   &   HULBERT, 

47   rrrst   Tiutt,   SI.,    yrir   Torli. 


3Soofts  1)^1  Ibenry  Mart)  3Beecber. 

Bible  Studies. 

Sunday  Evening  Discourses  on  Inspiration,  and  Bible  Readings, 
with  Characteristic  Comment.  A  new  volume  from  unpublished 
notes  of  T.  J.  Ellinwood.  Edited  by  John  R.  Howard  [1892]. 
Garnet  cloth,  $1.50. 

A  Book  of  Prayer, 

Introduction  on  the  universality  and  varied  phases  of  Prayer. 
Invocation,  Prayers  before  Sermon,  and  Closing  Prayers  arranged 
by  topics  from  unpublished  stenographic  notes  of  T,  J.  Ellinwood 
[1892].     Cloth,  75  cts.;  cloth,  gilt,  $1. 

Comforting  Thoughts. 

For  those  in  Bereavement,  Illness  and  Adversity.  Compiled  by 
Irkne  Ovington.     With  Vignettes.     Cloth,  limp,  75  cts.;   cloth. 

Sermons. 

Four  volumes,  1873-4.  Ellinwood's  Reports.  Garnet  cloth,  per 
volume,  $1.50.  {See  also  Evolution  and  Religion,  A  Summer  in 
England,  and  Patriotic  Addresses.) 

Plymouth  Pulpit,  single  sermons,  s  cts.;  assorted  lots,  50 
cts.  per  do7cn.     No  complete  volumes      Send  for  list. 

The  Original  Plymouth  Pulpit,  1868  to  1873.  Ten 
volumes  (originally  $25)  in  five  volumes.  Octavo,  garnet  cloth, 
$12.50,  net. 

Evolution  and  Religion. 

Part  I. — Theoretical  and  Doctrinal  ;  paper,  50  cts.  Part  II.— 
Practical  and  Vital;  paper,  gi.  The  two  Parts  in  one  volume, 
garnet  cloth,  ^1.50. 

Patriotic  Addresses  and  Sermons. 

On  Slavery,  Civil  War  (including  the  Speeches  in  England,  1863), 
and  Civil  Liberty  in  the  United  States — from  the  reply  to  Henry 
Clsy  to  the  Eulogies  on  Lincoln  and  Grant.  With  a  Review  of  his 
Life,  Personality  and  Public  Influence,  by  John  R.  Howard. 
8vo,  858  pp.     Cloth,  ;52  ;  cloth,  gilt,  ^2.50  ;  half  mor.,  §4. 

A  Summer  in  England. 

Addresses,  Lectures  and  Sermons  delivered  there  in  1S86.  With 
account  of  the  trip  by  Maj.  Jas.  B.  Pond.  Photo-artotype  portrait; 
IMSS.  notes,  etc.     Cloth,  gilt  top,  $2. 

Yale  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

I. — Personal  Elements;  II. — Social  and  Religious  Machinery; 
111. — Christian  Doctrines  and  their  Use.  Thirty-three  Lectures. 
960  pages.     Three  volumes  in  one.     Vellum  cloth,  $2. 

The  Life  of  Jesus  the  Christ. 

Completed  Edition,  2  vols.,  8vo.  Cloth,  I^S-so;  half  mor.,  ^.50. 
Either  vol.,  singly — cloth,  *;3  ;  half  mor.,  J5. 

Lectures  to  Young  Men. 

On  Various  Important  Subjects.     Cloth,  ^1.50. 

Royal  Truths. 
Reported  from  his  Spoken  Words.     Fourth  American  from  Sixth 
English  Edition.     Cloth,  gi. 25. 

Beecher  as  a  Humorist. 

Selections  of  Wit  and  Humor  from  his  Works.  Compiled  by 
Eleanor  Kikk-     Vellum  cloth,  f,i. 

Norwood. 
A  Talk  of  Village  Life  in  New  England.     Mr.  Beecher's 
Only  Novel.     Cloth,  Popular  Edition,  $i.2^;  paper,  50  cts. 

Faith. 
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Feb.  27,  1S87.    Portrait.    Embossed  paper,  20C.;  leather,  45C. 


FORDS,   HOWARD,   &  HULBERT, 
47  East  Tenth  St.,  New  York, 


Date  Due 

''■  "    ■  TV 

f 

